Wat Phra Sri Mahathat
Wat Phra Sri Mahathat (full name Wat Phra Sri Mahathat Wora Maha Wihan ; Thai : วัด พระ ศรีมหาธาตุ วรมหาวิหาร ) is a Buddhist temple complex ( Wat ) in Bangkok , the capital of Thailand . Wat Phra Sri Mahathat is a " Royal First Class Temple ", in it live monks who belong to the Thammayut Nikaya .
location
Wat Phra Sri Mahathat is located on the busy Thanon Phahonyothin (Phahonyothin Road) in Bangkok's Bang Khen district .
history
The temple was founded in 1941 by Field Marshal Phibul Songkhram , the then Prime Minister of Thailand, to commemorate the introduction of the " democratic system " in Thailand. Its original name was therefore Wat Prachathipatai ( วัด ประชาธิปไตย - "Temple of Democracy"). It was built very close to the “Monument to the Defense of the Constitution” ( Lak-Si Monument ) and was completed on June 28, 1941.
On June 30, 1942, the name was changed to "Wat Phra Sri Mahathat Wora Maha Viharn" after relics of the Buddha , an offshoot of the holy Mahabodhi tree in Bodhgaya and earth from holy places were brought from India and kept in the Phra Chedi Sri Mahathat were.
Attractions
- Phra Chedi Sri Mahathat - the 38 meter high chedi is accessible inside. In it there is another chedi in which the relics are located. A circular corridor with four entrances leads around the smaller chedi. In niches in the wall are the soil samples from various holy places in India. In other niches are the urns with the ashes of various religious and secular dignitaries, such as Phibul Songkhram.
- Bodhi tree - the Bodhi tree, which was grown from an offshoot of the Mahabodhi tree in Bodhgaya, stands on a round island in a small lake in front of the Chedi. In front of the tree there is a large Buddha statue in meditation posture.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Description of a text board on the temple grounds
Web links
- Homepage of Wat Phra Sri Mahathat (in Thai)
- Page about Wat Phra Sri Mahathat at dhammathai.org (in Thai)
Coordinates: 13 ° 52 ′ 27.2 " N , 100 ° 35 ′ 36.1" E