Abstract

The King Narai Festival of Lopburi Province is a long-standing tradition that has enabled the development of the provincial identity. This research had two primary aims: to study the background and development of the King Narai Festival in Lopburi Province and to analytically study, select and present the concept of Lopburism in the fine arts activities of the light and sound shows of the King Narai Festival. The research found that the event has been held twenty-six times in a thirty-three year period since 1979. The analysis of the development of the King Narai Festival in Lopburi Province can be divided into four time periods: introduction, improvement, identity creation and value increase. The activities during the festival are able to create unity and an identity for the event and can reveal and provide deep knowledge of the essence of Lopburi people. This essence, Lopburism, can be summarized as follows: a) belief in, respect for, faith in and worship of King Narai the Great; b) the lifestyle and existence of Lopburi people during the era of King Narai the Great; c) important events during the era of King Narai the Great, including the people with important roles during the time. The explanations given in this paper show the selection process and production of activities during the King Narai Festival for presenting the identity of Lopburism.

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