Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan (Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ, also commonly referred to as
Wat Yai) is a Buddhist temple
(WatA wat is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" means "school."- Introduction :...
) in
PhitsanulokPhitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
,
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
, where it is located on the bank of the
Nan RiverThe Nan River is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.-Geography:The Nan River originates in Nan Province. The provinces along the river after Nan Province are Uttaradit, Phitsanulok and Phichit. The Yom River joins the Nan River at Chum Saeng...
near the Naresuan Bridge.
The
cloisterthumb|250px|right|Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in [[Arles]], [[France]]thumb|250px|right|Cloister of [[Abbaye de Fontenay]], in [[Marmagne]], [[France]]...
of the temple was established in 1357 during the reign of King Maha Thammaradscha I of
SukhothaiThe Sukhothai kingdom was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. It was First Thai Empire. It existed from 1238 till 1438...
.
Wat Yai is famous throughout Thailand for its golden sculpture of the
BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is regarded by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c...
called the
Phra Buddha Chinnarat (Thai: พระพุทธชินราช).
Discussion
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Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan (Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ, also commonly referred to as
Wat Yai) is a Buddhist temple
(WatA wat is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" means "school."- Introduction :...
) in
PhitsanulokPhitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
,
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
, where it is located on the bank of the
Nan RiverThe Nan River is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.-Geography:The Nan River originates in Nan Province. The provinces along the river after Nan Province are Uttaradit, Phitsanulok and Phichit. The Yom River joins the Nan River at Chum Saeng...
near the Naresuan Bridge.
History
The
cloisterthumb|250px|right|Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in [[Arles]], [[France]]thumb|250px|right|Cloister of [[Abbaye de Fontenay]], in [[Marmagne]], [[France]]...
of the temple was established in 1357 during the reign of King Maha Thammaradscha I of
SukhothaiThe Sukhothai kingdom was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. It was First Thai Empire. It existed from 1238 till 1438...
.
Phra Buddha Chinnarat
Wat Yai is famous throughout Thailand for its golden sculpture of the
BuddhaSiddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is regarded by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c...
called the
Phra Buddha Chinnarat (Thai: พระพุทธชินราช). Many Thai people consider the Phra Buddha Chinnarat to be
the most beautiful Buddha portrait in Thailand. It depicts Buddha in the posture of overcoming Mara (Thai: ปางมารวิชัย), also called Mara submission. A stone inscription indicated that he was molded over 700 years ago by a King Mahathamaracha Lithai of Sukhothai dynasty. Several faithful copies of the Phra Buddha Chinnarat are displayed in other temples, including
Wat BenchamabophitWat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram is a Buddhist temple in the Dusit district of Bangkok, Thailand. Also known as the marble temple, it is one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples and a major tourist attraction....
in Bangkok and Wat Saranat Thammaram in Rayong. Also, the Phra Buddha Chinnarat is depicted on the official seal of the
Phitsanulok ProvincePhitsanulok is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the North of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Uttaradit. In the north-east it also has a short border with Xaignabouli of Laos.-Etymology:The first element Phitsanu is a cognate...
.
Architecture
The temple's large
viharaVihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
has an immense main entrance with mother-of-pearl inserts donated by King
BoromakotSomdet Phra Chaoyuhua Boromakot or Somdet Phra Boromaracha Dhiraj III was the king of Ayutthaya from 1732 to 1758. His reign was the last blooming period of Ayutthaya as the kingdom would fall nine years after his death....
in 1756. Beyond the vihara is a Khmer style
prangA prang is a tall finger-like spire, usually richly carved. This was a common feature of Khmer religious architecture and was later adopted by Thai builders, typically in the Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods. In Thailand it appears only with the most important religious buildings.The first Prangs in...
, the inside of which can be accessed via a stairway. The Prang is said to enshrine relics of the Buddha.
Museum
The Buddha Chinnarat National Museum, located on the temple grounds, houses a sizeable collection of Sukhothai period art.
Events
Festivals often take place on the temple grounds, including the annual Phra Buddha Chinnarat Fair. Also, on the first weekend of each October, the Phitsanulok Dragon Boat Races take place outside the temple in the river.
External links