The light of Chiang Mai The rooms in Darapirom Palace speak volumes about its former owner _ Chiang Mai's beloved Jao Dararasamee whose birthday anniversary to this day is celebrated with pomp and fanfare. Each section of Darapirom Palace _ her last residence and the one she loved most _ captures a segment of the life of this Chiang Mai princess. Chulalongkorn University and her descendants have brought together some 270 pieces of furniture, decorative items and personal effects of the princess in the former palace, now a museum. It was built in early 20th century and its architecture carries a distinct Western flavour, as do the furniture and other items. The museum was officially opened by HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana in 1999. The museum offers a pictorial biography of the princess. Her name, Dararasamee, means light from the stars. She was born in 1873 to Pra Jao Intra Wichayanon, then the ruler of Chiang Mai. At the age of 11 she was betrothed to King Chulalongkorn who had already sat on the throne 16 years. Two years later, she accompanied her father to Bangkok and was delivered to the monarch. At the royal palace she impressed everybody, including the king who put her in charge of the royal household. Jao Dararasamee bore him a daughter but the young princess didn't live long, succumbing to illness when she was just three years old. Her photographs attest to the fact that she was beautiful. What they fail to tell was that she was also so smart that she was elevated to the rank of royal consort. When King Chulalongkorn breathed his last on October 23, 1910, she was in Chiang Mai, her first trip there in 22 years. She returned to Bangkok for the royal funeral and stayed in the capital another four years. By then King Rama VI was on the throne. She took his leave, requesting to return to her place of birth and built the Darapirom Palace where she spent the rest of her life. Judging from exhibits on display in the living room, it is not hard to establish that she was highly respected and a likeable person who devoted her time to improve the livelihood of northern people. The main bedroom displays royal robes, personal items and heirlooms. Watching them one can't help but admit she had style and grace. Another room displays pictures of the princess performing her duties in the fields of agriculture, art and promoting religion. She introduced modern farming in the North long before it was even heard of elsewhere in the country. On show are clothes and designs she patented, which are an interesting blend of dress sense in Bangkok at the time and the style native to north Thailand. The ground floor of the museum features agricultural machinery, her personal loom, and a glowing account of her interest in farming. Also chronicled is her Suan Chao Sabai nursery where she experimented growing roses sent to her by the Rose Growers Association of England. Her favourite was the pink rose, which she named Chulalongkorn. She passed away at the age of 60. The museum is a reminder of her selfless contribution to Thai society and people in the North in particular who continue to reap great benefits from her pioneering initiative in the field of agriculture and her effort to preserve Lanna art and culture. |