Kukrit 80 Foundation presents Royal Khon performance of ‘Mokhasak’ episode
The Kukrit 80 Foundation is raising the curtain on a Khon performance of the Ramayana’s “Mokhasak” episode, giving young people the opportunity to experience various arts and cultures.
Two performances will be given by young Khon performers from the Kukrit Institute of Performing Arts Centre on Thursday (April 20) at the Aksara Theatre, King Power, Rangnam.
The foundation is under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, chairman of the Kukrit 80 Foundation, said: “We have prepared the grand Khon performance of the year 2566, titled 'Mokhasak', which will be performed in front of the throne of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.”
Over 300 young performers will take part in this year’s performance, with participation extended to young people who have not undergone training or played Khon, he added.
“We believe that the transmission of culture and art does not necessarily have to be through learning Khon or playing Thai music but can also be learned through various forms of work.”
For the “Mokhasak” performance, high school students formed a social team and a graphic design team created unique costumes and accessories sold at the event.
“We simply want to provide an opportunity for these young people to get up close and personal with our culture and art, so that they may develop a deep connection and continue the beauty of our national art themselves,” Pridiyathorn said.
“Mokhasak" is a chapter from the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana Hindu epic.
It tells the story of Kumbhakarna, a giant and brother of Ravana, the king of Lanka. Kumbhakarna was a just and virtuous ruler who Ravana consulted about the impending war. Despite his reluctance, Kumbhakarna agreed to fight and wielded the powerful Mokhasak, a deadly weapon. However, due to a celibacy vow, the weapon disintegrated into four pieces of rusted metal. To restore the weapon's power, Kumbhakarna had to perform a secret ritual by the riverbank, following the ancient scriptures and conducting offerings.
He also ordered his soldiers to guard the area and prevent any disturbance. The army of King Rama, however, had a plan to disrupt the ritual by sending Hanuman, the monkey god, and Angada, the monkey prince, in disguise. They transformed into giant crows and ate the corpse of a dead dog near the ritual site. As Kumbhakarna caught their smell, he could not continue the ritual.
Despite the failure of the ritual, he still had to go to war against Lakshmana. In this battle, Lakshmana was struck by Mokhasak's spear and fell to the ground.
Kumbhakarna's army retreated to the city in a panic. The Pipek side said that the only way to break the spell of the spear was to use the Sankaranee Trichava plant and the water from five great rivers. But the most important thing was that if the sunlight shone at any time, the opportunity to fix it would be lost. Hanuman volunteered to fly up to the sky and block the Sun's chariot himself. The Sun god saw this strange event and asked about the reason. Finally, the Sun helped by hiding behind the clouds while Hanuman gathered the Sankaranee Trichava plan and the water from five great rivers from Ayothaya to revive Lakshmana. He led the army back to the camp.
The Kukrit Institute of Performing Arts Centre has created new sets for this Khon performance to captivate the audience. Parn Sutee Pivorabut, an art designer from the Office of Performing Arts, Silpakorn University, was invited to create all the sets to enhance the viewing experience. The show also features a procession of the monkey army and demon army, which will create an impressive and exciting spectacle.
The Kukrit Institute of Performing Arts Centre will also present other shows by its young performers, including the Mahori music ensemble, the Samakkhi Chumnum performance, the blessing offering performance and the blessing offering dance.
Two Khon performances of the "Mokhasak" episode will be held at on Thursday (April 20), at 1.30pm and at 6pm (royal round), at the King Power Complex’s Aksara Theatre on Rangnam Road.
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