Wat Phanan Choeng
The Wat Phanan Choeng ( Thai วัด พ นั ญ เชิง วรวิหาร ) is a Buddhist temple complex ( wat ) in the Ayutthaya Historical Park , central Thailand . The temple is a “second class” royal temple and has been in operation since it was built in the 14th century .
etymology
The name phanaeng choen comes from the Khmer language . It means "to sit with your legs crossed". The words phanaeng choen later appear several times in texts of the Ayutthaya period , for example in the Vessantara Jataka , in which they are used instead of the Pali word nisi (to sit down): the Buddha sat down to read the story of the birth ( Jataka ) to tell of Prince Vessantara.
location
Wat Panan Choeng is located in the southeast of the old town of Ayutthaya on a small hill southeast of the confluence of the Mae Nam Pa Sak (Pa-Sak River) into the Mae Nam Chao Phraya . Opposite on the north bank of the Pa Sak is the Wat Suwan Dararam and the last remaining part of the old city fortifications, the "Fort Phet" ( ป้อม พ ชร ).
Building history
The temple is said to have been founded by King Sai Namphoeng (Thai: พระเจ้า สายน้ำผึ้ง ) at the cremation site of the Chinese princess Soi Dok Mak ( พระนาง สร้อย ดอกหมาก ). According to legend, the princess came to Ayodhya ( เมือง อ โยธ ยา ) to marry King Sai Namphoeng. Embittered that the king spurned her, she strangled herself on the spot. The Chinese have built a shrine for her there. She is very revered by the Thai people of Chinese origin.
Interestingly, Wat Phanan Choeng was founded in 1324 , around 26 years before Ayutthaya became the capital of the empire of the same name . At that time there was an old trading post Bang Ka-cha ( บาง กะ จะ ), where the Chinese junks moored. As a result of the uninterrupted history of the temple, many influences from past eras can be seen side by side.
The main statue has been renovated several times over the past centuries, for example under King Naresuan the Great (1590–1605), under King Mongkut ( Rama IV. 1851–1868) and for the last time in 1929 . King Mongkut called her Phra Puttha Thrai Ratana Nayok .
Attractions
Noteworthy is the 19 meter high gilded Buddha statue in the posture of submission to the Mara from 1334, which is one of the largest ancient Buddha statues in the country. She has a knee span of 20.1 meters. It is called Luang Pho Tho ( หลวง พ่อ โต ) in Thai , but the Chinese refer to it as Sam Pao Kong (Thai: ซำ เปา ก ง ). He is considered the protector of trade and the seafarers. There is also a legend that Luang Pho Tho "tears flowed from the holy eyes to the holy navel" shortly before the destruction of Ayutthaya by the Burmese.
The eastern entrance to the Viharn of Luang Pho Tho can be reached via a T-shaped, covered hall with a statue of the Kuan Yin in the center . This statue is very venerated by the Chinese believers. The high entrance portal of the main viharn is flanked by long panels on which golden Chinese characters are depicted on a red background.
Two smaller viharns are attached to the T-shaped hall to the north and south. In the southern viharn there are three Buddha statues in Sukhothai style, one is made of gold (" พระทอง "), one is made of Nak (" พระ นา ก "), a Thai copper-gold alloy, and one is made of plaster. The walls of the northern viharn are decorated with strange-looking paintings depicting Chinese-style offerings.
To the north outside this building complex, which is surrounded by a "wall of jewels" ( Kampheng Kaeo ) , is the Chinese shrine of the princess Soi Dok Mak ( ศาล เจ้าแม่ สร้อย ดอกหมาก ).
literature
- Clarence Aasen: Architecture of Siam: A Cultural History and Interpretation . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1998, ISBN 983-56-0027-9 .
Web links
- Photos and a short description (note: annual dates are not correct)
Individual evidence
- ↑ ML Forrest McGill, Pattaratorn Chirapravati (ed.): The Kingdom of Siam. The Art of Central Thailand, 1350-1800 . Snoek Publishers, Ghent 2005, ISBN 90-5349-528-2
- ^ Richard D. Cushman (David K. Wyatt Ed.): The Royal Chronicles Of Ayutthaya . The Siam Society , Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-8298-48-5
Coordinates: 14 ° 20 ′ 39 ″ N , 100 ° 34 ′ 44 ″ E