Buddhist Novices Transform Into Princes In Initiation Ceremony
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
A young boy shows off his dance moves as the group parades through the town in Mae Hong Son, Thailand, April 2016. Monk initiates ditch normal clothes for princely tunics, full make up and heaps of golden jewels for their ordination into Buddhist monkhood.
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Amongst the Shan people, who live across southeast Asia in northern Thailand and Myanmar, boys between 7 and 14 are annually initiated into their local temples during an elaborate three day ceremony. The young boys don vibrant costumes symbolising Gautama Buddha’s days as a prince, before he gave up worldly pleasures, and ride on the shoulders of their male relatives for the three day ceremony.
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images
Photo by Claudio Sieber/Barcroft Images