Get an exclusive private service of a bamboo tattoo by a revered master
Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel is offering travellers a hard to come by opportunity to get inked and incensed by one of Thailand’s most famous bamboo tattoo masters, Ajarn Neng Onnut. Anantara Siam is the only hotel in the Kingdom that offers this exclusive private service by the revered master.
A bamboo tattoo, formally called Sak Yant, is one of the world’s most ancient and sacred traditions and is expertly engraved into the skin entirely by hand using a traditional Khem Sak – a handcrafted metal rod designed to replicate the shape of a bamboo stick, that is often passed down to an Ajarn, meaning master in Thai, by their own master.
The practise has become increasingly popular with foreign tourists to Thailand in recent years, thanks in part to Ajarn Neng who inked Hollywood actors including Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Brooke Shields, and famed Hong Kong actor, Alex Fong. A master, teacher and learned scholar in the sacred art of Sak Yant, the Ajarn has more than ten years of perfecting his expert craft on over 10,000 people under his Khem Sak.
Sak Yant tattoos are traditional forms of tattooing magical ancient geometric and deity symbols with Buddhist prayers onto the body and are sacred blessings that are believed to impart magical powers for luck, protection, charisma, fortune, and other powers onto the wearer to help in their own personal journey. The most famous Yant is the Haah Taew or five-line Yant and Ajarn Neng also inks simple one-line Yants and Gao Yord, a nine-spine Yant, and much bigger Yants designs like Twin Tigers.
Becoming learned in Sak Yant includes mastering the intricate artwork of the tattoos, which consists of almost 1,000 different graphic images. Ajarn Neng’s passion to become a master saw him learning how to read and write the entire ancient Khmer and Pali scripts, memorising all the unique prayers and secret spells, chants and mantras that relate to the sacred tattoos.
A private inking session by Ajarn Neng at Anantara Siam is performed in a private treatment room. A consultation by the Ajarn takes place the day before when the master meets and learns about the person’s life and goals in life and decides on a fitting Yant.
Before and after inking the Yant, the Ajarn performs a ceremony where the body and art are blessed, giving the wearer a permanent and deeply significant reminder of the unique experience.
The burning of incense plays an important role, along with the recital of sacred mantras, to invoke good spirits into each Yant design so that they may offer protection against evil forces or bad luck. Each number of incense sticks burned simultaneously has a specific purpose and most Thai people believe and value odd numbers as auspicious, with 108 being the maximum number of incense sticks that can be used – three sticks relate to success in life; four sticks should be avoided; nine sticks relate to shifting your goal in life and moving on; and sixteen sticks are burned to worship ancestors and making a wish.
The incense sticks – called Mantra Rak – used during the inking session are unique and custom designed and produced by Ajarn Neng from his teachings by his master to create a universal scent that he believes appeases all gods as an offering in all ceremonies, whether religious or spiritual.
The sticks can also be used by people who do not want a tattoo but want sacred blessings to impart magical powers and enhance spirituality and prosperity, by burning a specific number of sticks relating to a specific purpose and reciting the “Si na ta si ma ni no ye na ye no thit sit wat prat hit sit” prayer three times per day. The Mantra Rak incense sticks with instructions are available to purchase at Anantara Siam and do not require the involvement of the Ajarn to use for meditation and mindfulness practises to awaken one’s full potential and positive energy.