SACRED SITES OF THE ANCIENT LANNA THAI KINGDOM OF
NORTHERN THAILAND
SACRED STUPAS (PHRA THAT)
Many chedis or stupas contain holy relics, pieces of bone of the historical Buddha. In Northern and Northeastern Thailand, these chedis are called ‘phra that’.
In Thai culture, nine is considered to be an auspicious number. Residents of the ancient city of Wiang Yonnok Nakaphan in the ancient Lanna Thai kingdom of Northern Thailand and their descendants believe that a merit-making pilgrimage to the following nine sacred sites with the word ‘chom’ in their name will bring good luck. Individuals who complete the journey will be blessed with success in work, prosperity and a good life.
SACRED SITES IN LAMPHUN
According to legend, the historic town of Lamphun was founded in 660 A.D., almost six centuries before the city of Chiang Mai was established and over a thousand years before the city of Bangkok became the capital of the Thai kingdom.
Historians however estimate that the city was founded in approximately 950 A.D. Founded during the reign of the legendary Queen Chamathewi by Buddhist monks from Lop Buri province, Haripunchai flourished as a centre of Mon culture and influence. In its heyday, Lamphun was the capital of the Kingdom of Haripunchai. Queen Chamathewi played an instrumental role in the spread of Buddhism and Mon culture and is considered to be one of the heroines of Thai history. Following the decline of the southerly Mon kingdom of Dvaravati, the city of Haripunchai was conquered by King Mengrai of the Lanna Thai kingdom in 1281.
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Wat Phra That Haripunchai Voramahaviharn temple |
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The magnificent temple was built in 1044 by King Athitayaraj of Haripunchai on the site of Queen Chamathewi’s royal palace. (Other sources cite 1108 or 1157 as its founding date.)
An impressive but modern viharn houses the Phra Chao Thongtip Buddha image. The temple complex is also the site of Suwanna Chedi, a 46-metre high stepped pyramid topped with a nine-tier golden umbrella. Dating back to the early fifteenth century (either 1418 or 1467), Suwanna Chedi is one of the very few surviving examples of Dvaravati architecture. It is also considered by Thais to be one of the eight holiest chedis in the kingdom. A stately Haw Trai or Tripitaka library that houses holy Buddhist scriptures is of the Lanna School of Art.
Wat Phra That Haripunchai Voramahaviharn temple is a holy pilgrimage site for individuals born in the Year of the Cock. |
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Wat Chamathewi temple or Wat Kukut |
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Wat Chamathewi temple is said to have been originally built as a Dvaravati monument in the 8 th or 9 th century, and subsequently rebuilt by the Haripunchai Mon in 1218.
Wat Chamadevi is the site of two of Lamphun’s oldest surviving monuments. Both chedis (stupas) are built of brick and decorated with stucco figures of the Buddha. Chedi Suwan Chang Kot, the larger of the two, is a stepped pyramid 21 metres high and is thought to have been modelled after the 12th century Satmahal Prasada pagoda in Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. Each side of the chedi houses five rows of three Dvaravati-style Buddha images in the standing posture.
The word ‘chedi’ originates from the word ‘cetiya’ in Pali. The chedi, or stupa, is a solid cone-shaped monument. Chedis throughout the Thai kingdom reflect a vast range of architectural styles. Chedis in Northern Thailand are multi-sided and more elaborate, while others take the shape of an inverted bowl or bell-shaped structure. Chedis symbolise the enduring stability of Buddhism.
Many chedis are believed to house holy relics (pieces of bone) of the historical Buddha. In Northern, as well as Northeastern, Thailand, these stupas are called ‘that’ or ‘phra that’. |
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Queen Chamathewi Statue |
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A statue of Queen Chamathewi stands guard near the banks of the encircling moat at the southern end of Inthayongyot Road. |
TAT Northern Office – Region 1
Areas of responsibility: the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lamphun,
Lampang and Mae Hong Son
Tel: 053 248604, 248607 241466
Fax: 053 248605
E-mail: tatchmai@tat.or.th
RELIGIOUS TRAVEL
SACRED PILGRIMAGE SITES
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