BAN BATT The last handmade alms bowl maker c o m m u n i t y.
Monk’s Bowl Village
The last place where craftsmen still create the alms bowls by hands.
All over many Buddhist countries, especially in Thailand, the morning alms ceremony is normally seen by people in any streets.
Each morning, Buddhist monks wal their neighborhoods to receive food from members of the community.
lk around d offerings
The Batt, which for centuries were made by hand, are almost all now
produced in factories. And many alms bowl-maker communities have vanished except for Ban Batt or the Monk’s bowl village.
Since in the 18th century, Ban Batt community
is one of the series of villages that were established by King Rama I to create the monk’s bowl. And now, when time passed and the technology was developed, Ban Batt is the last place where craftsmen still create these bowls by hand.
People in this community who were
born, raised and grew up in this village, have seen their families working with the alms bowls since they were just a little kid.
Through
many generations, when parents have taught their kids and their kids passing on the knowledge to another generation of them. We could say that these bowls are already a part of their daily lives.
Making monk’s bowl is not easy, it requires strength,
endurance, elaboration and also the unity of this community.
The process of creating the alms bowls is complex and takes a longer time (7-8 days) to finish it per each. The top of the bowl is made from a metal strip which is hammered into shaped and soldered together with other metal parts.
And the whole bowl will be welded and then polished and lacquered until they are shine. Each step took place at a different house along the small and twisty pathway where all families lived.
However, many building factories are allowed to produce monk’s alms bowls and they are a lot cheaper than Ban Batt’s one.
So most of the retail shops have changed to buy these bowls from the factories instead. And the only customers left are just the forest temple monks who are really strict to the disciplines.
Thus, the incomes from making these alms bowls are insufficient and not enough for them to living in today’s society.
Batt, the interesting kind of art, is what every people in this village are in love and binding with. Even though the technology and the society has changed some of them to quit with this job and find a new way to earn their living instead, the others left are still being passionate and proud of their powerful duty.
And no matter how long
the time may passed by, this wonderful art will still being in their hearts and be passed on through many generations over and over again.