Wat Chang Kham (Kan Thom)

Terrain

General Condition

The ancient site of Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom Formerly known as Wat Kan Thom, it is located in the area of ​​Wat Chang Kham. (later changed its name to Kan Thom Kum Kam Phirom Temple)

The ancient site was originally buried underground in the courtyard of Wat Chang Kham School. Currently, the lawn has been demolished.

At present, Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom is under the administration of Wat Kan Thom Kum Kam Phirom (Wat Chang Kham), which is a temple located in the center of Wiang Kum Kam. And there are monks who live in the Buddhist Lent.

The general environment in the north, west and south is the residential area of ​​the community quite densely. The eastern part is the lowland area originally used for farming. At present, it is found that the construction of houses has begun. and has a house construction project and allocated land.

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

Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom It is an archaeological site in the present area of ​​Wat Chang Kham. As for the ancient site Formerly known as Wat Kan Thom, but since it is in the present area of ​​Wat Chang Kham therefore called collectively Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom (Currently, Wat Chang Kham is officially known as Kan Thom Kum Kam Phirom Temple)

The Fine Arts Department has excavated and studied the ancient monuments of Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom in 1984 (Department of Fine Arts 2005 :76 - 78). Found information on ancient sites and antiquities as follows:

The name of Kan Thom Temple archaeological site appears in the Yonok chronicle. which has a record of the construction of the temple by King Mengrai It was completed in Chulachak 652 (1833 B.E.) at that time, King Mangrai cast 5 Buddha statues as 3 sitting Buddha images, 2 standing Buddha images, the same size as him. Then please Mr. Craftsman Kan Thom or Kad Thom. Build a temple to cover the Buddha image

from the excavation and study of the archaeological site of Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom Found that the archaeological site consists of a viharn, a Mondop Thai Viharn and a chedi (which was renovated at the end of the reign of King Rama V of Rattanakosin).

Architectural features

1. Chedi in the Yonok chronicle recorded that in the year 1834, King Mangrai ordered the construction of a chedi 6 wa wide, 4 wa high, with 2 tiered arches. one and made an image of Sariputra Phra Moggallana, Indra and Nang Than to protect the Buddha images. Later, 2 Buddha relics were enshrined inside.

Such pagodas are listed in the Yonok chronicles. May be repaired by building over it since the reign of King Mangrai (Saraswati Ongsakul 1994:68) and the last repair of the chedi of Wat Kan Thom. Probably happened at the end of the reign of King Rama V of Rattanakosin, as a result of the repairs, the main chedi of Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom was present. Looks like a Burmese pagoda

2. Vihara is a temple hall in a rectangular plan. facing west appears only at the base From excavation, found grooves around the construction of the viharn overlapping 2 times. The appearance of the viharn has 2 front gauges, 1 back gauge area. but made a way to connect to the temple at the end of the temple in the style of a castle-shaped vihara.

3. Mondop at the end of the Viharn Inside the mondop at the end of the viharn, there is an octagonal brick base. Above the base of the pad is probably a high square to enshrine the Buddha images in all 4 directions.

Artifacts found

Excavation and study of Wat Chang Kham Kan Thom in 1984 found a terracotta amulet in Haripunchai style. Age around the 17th Buddhist century, a lot of the archaeological soil layer examination. It was found that the aforementioned terracotta amulets were things that existed before. and has no relation to the construction of Kan Thom Also found a coarse clay master. There is a scratch pattern in Haripunchai style. in which the ashes are contained The Buddha image is covered with gold in Haripunchai style. Other artifacts found were stucco Buddha heads. brown clay pot Brown glazed tough meat from the source of the San Kamphaeng stove. Inside contains a gold ring decorated with gems. and pliers money or jiang money This is an ancient Lanna money stamped with the letters “Mo” meaning “Chiang Mai” on every block.

In addition, 5 inscription fragments were found, inscribed in Mon script, Kham script, and mixed form between Thai and Mon characters. But the inscription of each period with the Mon inscription, the oldest inscription, dated around 1750 – 1850, the mixed Thai-Mon inscription, aged around 1750 – 1850, and the Kamphaeng inscription, aged around B.E. 1940

Determination of age

from archaeological evidence, along with inscriptions It shows that before King Mangrai built Wat Kan Thom (built during the 19th Buddhist century). This area has a community in the Haripunchai culture before. which King Mangrai would build a Viharn of Wat Kan Thom on top of an ancient temple After that, Kan Thom Temple was continuously maintained by the kings of the Mangrai dynasty. As evidenced in many ancient Lanna legends

Relevant local legend :

1. The ancient Yonok mentions the construction of Wat Kan Thom by Phya Mangrai. It was completed in the year 652 (1833 B.E.)

2. The Legend of the Fifteen Dynasty Wat Methangrawat, Phrae Province, copied in 1889, mentioning the area around Wat Kan Thom There were communities living before Wiang Kum Kam was established.

3. Chiang Mai native legends Mentioned in the reign of King Mangrai A temple was built. with a craftsman Kan Thom who assembles the structure of a different silk horse from Chiang Saen.

Related inscription :

Kan Thom Temple inscription Written in the year 2042 during the reign of Phra Muang Kaew. Mentioned that Mrs. Boonyuang had built a bronze Buddha image to be enshrined in Wat Kan Thom.