Buddhist Ceremonial Accessories

At observances in which Buddhist monks are in attending, one of the more noteworthy paraphernalia is the detailed and decorative monk's fan. It us used to cover the monk's face as he delivers addresses the devottes at the temple. Originally, monks' fans, called talapatr in Thai, were simpler affairs made from palm leaves, and had short handles. There are a number of theories as to their origin, one of the more practical—if not particularly delicate—being that they were for shielding the monk from the smell of putrefaction.