Square Chedi Temple

Terrain

General Condition

Wat Chedi Liam is a temple that is still in use today and has Buddhist monks. It is located on the eastern bank of the Ping River. Within the temple area, there are community shops.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Ping River

Geological conditions

It is a river basin area. was deposited with sand and gravel sediments. In the Holocene era

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Mythological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Square Chedi Temple Nowadays, it is a tourist attraction and there are many shops within the temple grounds. The highlight of the temple is the presence of a large pagoda that is in perfect condition.

Square Chedi Temple It is also known as Wat Ku Kham. It is a temple built during the time when King Mangrai established the city of Wiang Kum Kam. Later, during the reign of King Rama V, there was a major renovation by Luang Yonkanwichit. who is a Mon wealthy with Burmese nationality who came to do business in Chiang Mai This makes the art forms on the pagodas look like Burmese art.

The Fine Arts Department has restored and strengthened the main chedi. Including the excavation to study the archaeological soil layer in 1996 – 1997 (Department of Fine Arts 2005 :73 – 75) found information on ancient sites and antiquities as follows:

Wat Chedi Square consists of important ancient sites. temple and pagoda The temple was repaired in the later period.

Architectural features

Principal Chedi is a castle-shaped chedi in a square plan, made of masonry, only the base is reinforced with laterite (in the restoration, the Fine Arts Department has opened the outer surface of the lower base appears the base is made of laterite on the north side), which is a shape modeled after Chedi Ku Kut, Jamthewi Temple, Lamphun Province.

The lower base is the cutting board base in the square plan. Supporting the base of the plexiglass wooden base The middle part is a square-shaped elemental house, continuing up to 5 tiers of squares stacked in descending order.

Each side of the relic house is decorated with 3 Buddha images on each side, so the first floor has 12 Buddha images, totaling 5 floors with 60 Buddha images. In this regard, the arch chant in the 2nd and 3rd floors decorated the arch frame with the serpent Kyogan. The top part looks like a lotus flower group overlapping in 2 layers, supporting the top and tiered leaves.

At the corner of the elemental house, each floor is decorated with a replica chedi in the corner. As for the corners of the chopping board base at the time of washing, decorated with stucco lions at all 4 corners, and in the middle on each side is an arch enshrining a Buddha image sitting in various postures.

The east corner of the arch enshrines the Buddha image in the meditation posture. The west enshrines a sitting Buddha image hanging his feet. North enshrines a Buddha image. and south enshrines a Buddha image in the attitude of subduing Mara.

Around the pagoda there is a courtyard. and a glass wall with entrances on the east and south. Characteristics of lions at the corners and Buddha images at this square pagoda It is a Buddha image in Burmese art around the 25th Buddhist century, which is a restoration work in the royal era of Yonkan Wit.

from the excavation to study the soil layer around the palace Found that there were overlapping 7 periods, the last of which is probably after the renovation in 1908. It may have been built in 1936, which is the same period as the building of the altar in front of the chedi. The east side is also possible.

Artifacts found

Ancient artifacts found from the archaeological excavation at the base of the main chedi include a pot containing bones. Pottery from the San Kamphaeng kiln source Wiang Kalong furnace source Si Satchanalai stove Haripunchai style pottery Including Chinese wares depicting landscapes, portraits, painted in red glaze. and other types of antiques such as roof tiles, Chinese nails, stucco and bronze Buddha pieces, etc.

There is also a Buddha image in the Haripunchai art style. and stucco patterns in Lanna style which is probably the decoration of the original channa arch before the restoration Set the age of stucco patterns around the 21st century.

Another important antique is sandstone inscription fragments which was found in the courtyard (It's the first Thai script found in Lanna) It is assumed that it is between 1835 – 1900 BC.

Determination of age

According to historical documents, Wat Chedi Liam was built by King Mengrai in 1831 (around the 19th Buddhist century) and has been renovated continuously. Even today, all the arts that decorate the square pagoda are in Burmese style. because of the restoration in the royal era But the main structure of the chedi is still in the Haripunchai style of Wat Ku Kut style.

Relevant local legend :

1. A local legend of Chiang Mai recorded that “...Chao Mangrai took the soil from Nong Tang to build Ku Kham Chedi that day and then…”

2. The legend of Shinkalamali Pakorn recorded that “...after the victory of King Jiba King Mangyai built the city of Kumkam. then please build the Ku Kham Pagoda in that city Lined with 60 Buddha statues…”

3. Chronicle of Yonok records that “...Luc Chulachak 650 (1831), Year of the Rat, Samrittisak, Chao Mengrai asked him to take the soil dug in different swamps to make bricks in Wiang Kum Kam Pagoda.. .”

4. The poem Nirat Hariphunchai appears in chapter 45, mentioning that King Mangrai created Ku Kham to house one of his consorts' ashes.

Related inscription :

The inscription of Wat Si Umong Kham, AD 885 (AD 2066) indicates that Ku Kham is where the relics are contained.