Wat Chiang Man
Wat Chiang Man ( Thai : วัด เชียง มั่น - approximately: monastery of the fortified city ; in English usage also: Wat Chiang Mun ) is a Buddhist temple ( Wat ) in the center of Chiang Mai , northern Thailand .
Wat Chiang Man was built in 1297 as Chiang Mai's first temple on the site where King Mangrai had made camp to oversee the construction of his new capital.
The oldest building in the temple district is the Chedi Chang Lom ( " Chedi supported by elephants " ): the gilded tip in the typical Lanna style stands on a two-story, cubic base . Around the base are fifteen life-size elephant statues, the front half of which can be seen. They seem to be carrying the structure on their backs.
Nearby is a lotus pond, a wooden library ( ho trai ) built on a brick base, and an ubosot . A stone stele that can be dated to the year 1581 is placed in front of the ubosot . This stele is the oldest evidence of the founding of Chiang Mai: April 12, 1296 at 4 a.m. The stele also states that the ubosot was built by King Mangrai and that Phya Saen Luang had it restored in 1571. The current building probably dates from the 19th century.
In front of the chedi are two recent Wihan . These buildings also have staggered roofs pulled down low, as is typical for buildings in Lanna temples. The larger Wihan was renovated in the 1920s by the famous monk Kru Ba Srivichai . In front of the main Buddha statue is a standing Buddha statue with an alms bowl in its hands. The year 1465 is engraved on the base of this 176 cm high figure, making it the oldest statue in the Lanna Empire. It is also the first statue in Thailand to feature the Buddha with an alms bowl.
In the smaller Wihan in the north of the temple district there are two small but very valuable Buddha statues. The "Phra Sila statue" is a stepping Buddha depicted in relief. It is about 30 cm high and is said to have been brought here from Ceylon in the 8th century . Phra Sila is also said to be able to bring rain. For this reason, it is the focus of the celebrations every year for Songkran Festival.
The second famous statue is called "Phra Setang Khamani", is about 10 cm high and made of white rock crystal . Therefore it is also called "Phra Kaeo Khao" ("statue made of white crystal") . This statue was brought from Lop Buri by Queen Chamadevi when she ascended the throne of the Kingdom of Hariphunchai . The statue is said to have survived the pillage of Lamphun by King Mangrai. It has since been believed that it can protect against disasters. King Mangrai then brought them to Chiang Mai and set them up in Wat Chiang Man. The statue's golden throne was donated by a prince in 1874.
Both Phra Sila and Phra Setang Kamani represent a sanctuary ( Palladion ) for the residents of Chiang Mai , which protects the city. You are therefore in a barred niche.
Impressions from the temple area
Chedi and Wihan of Wat Chiang Man
Ubosot
Hor Trai (library)
Wihan: behind the barred window in the middle is the Phra Sila statue
Individual evidence
- ↑ See also: พระพุทธ บุษย รัตน์ จักรพรรดิ พิมล มณี มัย - Page of the Thai Wikipedia about the crystal Buddha - in Thai
literature
- Clarence Aasen: Architecture of Siam . Oxford University Press 1998, ISBN 983-56-0027-9
- Carol Stratton: Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand . Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 2004, ISBN 1-932476-09-1
- Michael Freeman: Lanna - Thailand's Northern Kingdom . River Books, Bangkok 2001, ISBN 0-500-97602-3
Web links
- Wat Chiang Man, the first royal. Temple of Chiang Mai ( Memento of January 16, 2003 in the Internet Archive ) - Mahidol University website (in English)
Coordinates: 18 ° 47 ′ 37.7 ″ N , 98 ° 59 ′ 20.3 ″ E