On May 4, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn completed Buddhist and Hindu Brahmin rituals that symbolically transformed him into a living god, news agency Reuters reported.

Vajiralongkorn became king in October 2016 when his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died after ruling for 70 years. “I shall continue, preserve, and build upon the royal legacy and shall reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the people forever,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters, in his first royal command. The rituals observed at the coronation were to transform the king into “devaraja, a divine embodiment of the gods”.

According to news reports, the Thai king’s crown weighs over 7 kg, symbolising the monarch’s “royal burden”.