San Lak Mueang (Sukhothai)
San Lak Mueang , also San Klang Mueang , was possibly the shrine of the so-called Lak Mueang (in Thai : หลักเมือง ), the "city pillar" of the historic old town of Sukhothai . The partially restored ruin is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sukhothai Historical Park in Thailand .
description
The small building is located immediately north of the moat surrounding Wat Mahathat . It is constructed from bricks. Its square foundation carries a pedestal surrounded by laterite columns, on which there is an octagonal column with a capital in the shape of a lotus bud . The platform can be accessed from the east via stairs. Originally, the pillar stood in a wooden shrine with a tiled roof.
Discovery and Findings Theory
The theory that the building discovered during excavations under the direction of Phraya Wichian Prakan during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI, 1910 to 1925) could be the shrine of the city pillar, is based on the findings and findings at the time back. The finds included two laterite columns at each of the four corners of the foundation and an indecipherable stone plate, which the king interpreted as a graphic horoscope of the city. In connection with a deepening in the center of the complex, it was also believed that the old stone could have been deliberately buried at this point and referred to the finding without further ado as a ruin of the “city pillar shrine”.
However, this hypothesis is considered unsecured. On the one hand, the erection of city pillar shrines is completely atypical for the Sukhothai era ; on the other hand, there are no written sources that prove the existence of such a shrine at this point.
City pillar shrines
Regardless, the theory has found its way into local beliefs. The possible city pillar shrine is heavily frequented by the local population as well as by domestic tourists and is still provided with offerings and votive offerings to this day .
In the belief of the Thais, city pillars are venerated as the places where the guardian spirits of the respective places have their residence.
literature
- Dawn F. Rooney : Ancient Sukhothai. Thailand's Cultural Heritage . River Books, Bangkok 2008, ISBN 978-974-9863-42-8 , p. 91.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Oliver Raendchen: The Thai lak . Ritual and socio-political function. In: The International Conference on Tai Studies. Mahidol University, Bangkok 1998, pp. 223-239. Also in: Tai Culture , Vol. 3, No. 2 (1998), pp. 142-157.
- ^ Barend Jan Terwiel : The Origin And Meaning Of The Thai City Pillar . In: Journal of The Siam Society, Vol. 66, Part 2, Bangkok 1978, pp. 159-171.
Coordinates: 17 ° 1 ′ 5.2 " N , 99 ° 42 ′ 13.8" E