ASIA NEWS NETWORK WE KNOW ASIA BETTER Publication Date :
01-02-2013 Golden goose floats used in the funeral procession
are based on the hamsa The golden goose floats used in the
funeral procession for the late King Father Friday are based on
the hamsa, the Sanskrit name for an aquatic bird in Hindu
mythology. At least three such floats were seen as the
procession got underway. One carried Venerables Bou Kry and Tep
Vong, the heads of the two main Buddhist sects in Cambodia. A
second carried National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Prime
Minister Hun Sen, Royal Palace Minister Kong Samol and Senate
Vice President Say Chhum. A third carried members of the royal
family, who appeared to be grandchildren of the former king.
Brahma, the god of creation, is typically represented with four
faces and four arms mounted on a hamsa. Hamsas are still used as
symbols and for decoration in India and Southeast Asia,
especially in Myanmar, where they appear on some regional flags,
and Thailand, where the mythical bird is feat