Wat Manorom

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Wat Manorom Sattharam ( Lao : ວັດ ມະ ໂນ ລົມ - Wat Manolom or Wat Mano, as the locals say) is a Buddhist temple complex in Luang Phrabang in Laos .

Wat Manorom in the evening

location

Wat Manorom is just outside the old city wall in the south of the city of Luang Phrabang. Many researchers agree that the temple stands in a place where one of the earliest Khmer Buddhist missionary stations in the area was once located.

Building history

The founding history of Wat Manorom is unclear as various dates can be given:

  • 1372 (or 1375): during or before the rise of the reign of Samsaenthai (1373–1416 / 17), a son of the first king of Lan Chang, Fa Ngum
  • 1421: during the reign of his successor Lan Kham Daeng (r. 1416 / 17–1428)
  • 1491/92: built under King La Saen Thai

It was certainly an important temple, as it housed the image of Phra Bang, protector of the city of Luang Phrabang between 1502 and 1513, before it was made to Wat Wasunalat .

Attractions

Wat Manorom was recently reconstructed. The main attraction is the large Buddha image in the main nave of the temple complex. The statue certainly dates from the reign of King Samsaenthai and was cast in the 1370s . Their style is more reminiscent of the Sukhothai style than that of the Khmer, which was actually the dominant Buddhist trend. This shape later also became the basis of the Lao style of Buddha sculptures. The statue is about 6 meters high and some parts of the bronze are about 15 centimeters thick. It was badly damaged during the invasion of the South Chinese Ho in 1887 and during the battles of the Siamese (who later became masters of Luang Phrabang) against the French colonial troops. Both arms were removed except for one forearm and were supposed to be taken to France, but the boat sank with the booty on the Mekong .

In 1972, during the reconstruction work, the cement arms were reattached and the rescued forearm lies at the feet of the statue.

literature

  • Betty Gosling: Old Luang Prabang . Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur 1996, ISBN 983-56-0006-6 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Description of the building history and architecture orientalarchitecture.com (English) accessed February 1, 2010.

Coordinates: 19 ° 52 ′ 57.8 "  N , 102 ° 7 ′ 58"  E