BANGKOK, May 4 (CGTN) -- The coronation of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn began Saturday, the first ceremony of its kind since the 1950 crowning of his late father.

The elaborate rituals, broadcast live on Thai television, began at the auspicious time of 10:09 a.m. (0309 GMT).

Saturday's somber ceremony began with the white-gowned king, the folds of his robe leaving one shoulder bared, anointing himself with sacred water from across Thailand, wiping it gently across his face at a shrine inside the Grand Palace complex.

King Vajiralongkorn is known as Rama X, the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty.

A canon-salute marked the moment as horns and pipes played and Buddhist monks chanted. Hindu Brahmins were also in attendance at the syncretic ceremony, which symbolizes Rama X's transformation from a human to divine figure.

He will later take his seat under the nine-tiered umbrella of state where he will be handed the Great Crown of Victory, a tiered gold 7.3-kilogram headpiece topped by a diamond from India.

For most Thais, it will be the first time they have witnessed a coronation, the last was in 1950 for the king's beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej.