Sanam Chan
Sanam Chan ( Thai พระราชวัง สนามจันทร์ , pronunciation: [ pʰráʔ râːtt͡ɕʰawaŋ sàʔnăːm t͡ɕan ], also: Sanam Chandra ) is a palace complex of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.) On the western outskirts (today on the outskirts of the city center) of Nakhon Pathom .
Palace complex
If you leave the Phra Pathom Chedi through its western exit and then always follow the Thanon Ratchadamnoen (the "royal footpath"), which begins here and leads strictly to the west - in reality a wide parade avenue - you come to one after about one kilometer Garden landscape in "English style" traversed by artificial brooks , which in the meantime has been partially built with sports facilities and playgrounds. The local zoo is also located here. This extensive area was originally the park surrounding the palace district of Vajiravudh, which liked to stay in the area of Nakhon Pathom. The palace, named Sanam Chan , cannot be compared to other royal palace complexes in Thailand: There is no fence or a surrounding wall - the parks are the only barrier to the "common people". The collection of various small villas in different styles is most reminiscent to the summer palace of Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in Bang Pa-in , but the architectural styles correspond to a more enlightened period and the openness speaks for a changed understanding of power by the king. In addition, the king mainly used this facility alone (or with his dog); therefore, for example, there are no residential buildings for other members of the royal family.
Vajiravudh had some of the buildings built around 1908, before his reign as king.
In addition to a central building, which is composed of three different components, there is also a wooden house in Thai style and a shrine dedicated to the Hindu elephant god Ganesha , the patron god of the Thai arts, within the well-tended complex. There is also a life-size bronze monument of the seated king in uniform - looking pensively in the direction of the large chedi that is visible from here, with the poet's writing pad and pen in hand. Outbuildings, which are also richly decorated - in a mixture of European and Thai style - were formerly reserved for the royal staff and now serve as office buildings for the provincial administration.
Both the Ganesha Shrine and the King's Monument (according to Thai custom, plastic or plaster figures of small dogs are repeatedly placed here) are highly venerated by the locals.
The names of the individual buildings are (in the English transcription used on site):
- Bhimarn Prathom Residence (in Thai: พระที่นั่ง พิมาน ปฐม , RTGS : Phra Thinang Phiman Pathom)
- Samekkeemukamartaya Hall ( พระที่นั่งสามัคคี มุข มา ต ย์ , RTGS: Phra Thinang Samakkhi Muk-Mat)
- Chaleemongkolasana Residence ( พระ ตํา หนัก ชา ลี มงคล อาสน์ , RTGS: Phra Tam-Nak Chali Mongkhon-At)
- Mareerajaratabunlung Residence ( พระ ตํา หนัก มา รี ราช รัต บัลลังก์ , RTGS: Phra Tam-Nak Mari Ratcha Council Banlang)
- Thub Kwan Residence ( พระ ตํา หนัก ทับ ขวัญ , RTGS: Phra Tam-Nak Thap-Khwan)
Chaleemongkolasana residence
The central building of the palace complex is the Chaleemongkolasana residence (also known as Charlie Mongkhol Art Hall ), which consists of three components and is built in a strange mixture of European and Asian elements.
The two-story, very playful building in a rare combination of pale yellow painted outer walls under bright red roofs is basically built in the style of the French Renaissance (think of the castle-like castles of the Loire ), but also shows borrowings from the half-timbered construction of medieval residential architecture in England with concessions of the tropical climate of Thailand. It is at the southern end of a wide open meadow; on its sides it is bordered with old trees and on its back it is against a larger pond. It was built by Prince Itthithepsan Kritakara around 1908 . On the upper floor there is a study room, a bedroom and a bathroom.
The King himself opened the house on February 3, 1917 in a solemn ceremony. In the last years of his life, Vajiravudh often lived here - for example when he was in Nakhon Pathom because of the meetings and military exercises of his Wild Tiger Corps (a paramilitary organization which he founded on May 1, 1911).
The half-timbered bay window on the first floor above the central entrance of the audience hall continues to a certain extent at the rear of the building in a closed bridge, which is also built in half-timbered, this representative building with the living rooms on the upper floor of a rather "private" villa opposite side of a pond connects. (A separation, as it can also be found in Bang Pa-in, for example, but with a different clarity .) The bridge is almost 50 m long and about in its middle (the middle of the bridge as that of the pond) is a small one Pavilion that served as a billiard room. The rear building is kept quite simple. In all of these rooms there is now an informative museum about the life and (especially the literary) work of the king and the activities of his Wild Tiger Corps .
Jarlet memorial
The curiosity of the palace complex and the reason why it has gained a certain fame nationwide (at least among the Thais; less so with tourists) comes from a memorial for the king's favorite dog, which is placed centrally in front of the main entrance of the audience hall. On a memorial (in Thai: อนุสาวรีย์ ย่า เห ล ) called a memorial (in Thai: อนุสาวรีย์ ย่า เห ล ) on this Anusawari Jaa-Le (usually the dog's name is transcribed as Jarlet ) is the story of an intimate relationship between humans and animals - the Thai King Vajiravudh and his dog Jarlet - written down (translated from Thai):
- "Jarlet was a black and white promenade mixture with a bushy tail and drooping ears. The dog was born in Nakhon Pathom prison and belonged to the superintendent Luang Chai-arya (Pho Kheha-nant, later Phra Phuttha Kasetra-nurak). During a visit to this prison Vajiravudh saw the dog and commented on its cuteness.Later, the superintendent gave his dog to the king, who named him Jarlet after the protagonist in one of his favorite plays .
- Jarlet was very clever and understanding. He immediately became the king's favorite and never left his side.
- One night Jarlet left the house and wandered around and got into a fight with other dogs in the Royal Guard barracks. He was shot down and found dead the next morning. The investigation found that an officer had heard the dogs' argument and shot, but was unaware that a ricochet had killed Jarlet.
- The death of the dog hit the king very hard. He held a funeral service for him and had a bronze statue created in front of Charlie Mongkhol Art Hall. The King immortalized his deep feelings for the loyal dog in a stanzan Eloge, which was also cast in bronze and worked into the base of the monument. "
The Chaleemongkolasana residence was also called Tamnak 'Lae , after a nickname for Jarlet .
literature
- Naengnoi Suksri: Palaces of Bangkok: Royal Residences of the Chakri Dynasty . Thames & Hudson Ltd., London 1996, ISBN 978-0-500-97446-9
Web links
Coordinates: 13 ° 49 ′ 10 ″ N , 100 ° 2 ′ 43 ″ E