Wat Mahathat

Terrain

General Condition

Wat Mahathat, Phichit Province It is located almost in the middle of the old Phichit city. on the east side of the Phichit River which is the old Nan River (About 200 meters from the Phichit River to the east, about 8 kilometers from the Nan River to the west, and about 5 kilometers from the Yom River to the east).>

Wat Mahathat is now an abandoned ancient site in "Phichit Old City Park", which in addition to the ancient sites and monuments Within the park area is still shady because it is "Kanchana Kuman Arboretum"

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Phichit River (Old Nan River), Nan River, Yom River

Geological conditions

Wat Mahathat, Phichit Province It is located in the upper central basin area. There are the Yom and Nan rivers to flow along the north-south line. The current is stronger than the lower central plains due to the steeper terrain. The temple is located between the Yom River in the west and the Nan River in the east. Classified as corrugated plains (rolling plains) high and low areas. There is erosion, gravel, rock, soil, sand piled up. There are low hills and rocks that pile up on top of each other from time to time. The sedimentation of the Yom River, Nan River, Phichit River (Old Nan River) during the Quaternary period made this area characterized as alluvial soils (Office of the National Research Council of Thailand 1995 :45-46; Board of Directors 2002 :6-7)

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Mythological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Wat Mahathat, Phichit, was built during the Sukhothai period and has continued to be used until the Ayutthaya period. At present, it is an abandoned brick building located in the middle of the old Phichit city. on the east bank of the old Nan River (the villagers call old city river Phichit River) assumed to be a temple built alongside Phichit city.

This old Phichit city is assumed by the northern chronicles. The story of Phraya Kraek (Huan Phinthuphan 1977:3) that it was built around 1601 by Chao Kanchana Kuman. The son of Phraya Kotbong, the ruler of Lawo, who took refuge to build Chai Bowon (at Ban Noi Subdistrict, Bang Khlan Subdistrict, Pho Thale District, at present) by Phichit City that Chao Kanchana Kuman built. (Conquering the city as Phraya Kottabongthewarat) Located on the east bank of the old Nan River, there is a two-tiered city wall made of bricks, surrounded by forts, camps, ditches, and tower gates, the northern side is 10 lines long, the southern side is 10 lines long, the western side is 35 lines long. Line (The Fine Arts Department 1973 :274)

Inside Wat Mahathat consists of President Chedi a bell-shaped chedi In the western front of the stupa is the Viharn Nine Room. (The temple is probably facing the old Nan River to the west) with a moat surrounding the chedi and the viharn. Behind the pagoda in the east is Ubosot There are 2 tiers of parapet leaves, currently only the base of the Ubosot remains.

Further east of the ubosot there are Twin Pools. or lotus pond before reaching the temple wall that is attached to the eastern city wall.

Measurement plan The main building of the temple was built along the east-west axis. From the layout of the plan with the viharn in front of the chedi which is the president of the temple and surrounded by a moat according to the meaning of the flood It is a form of temple that was popularly built during the Sukhothai period.

President Chedi The main chedi is a bell-shaped Sukhothai style. That is, there is a set of three-tiered lotuses on a low base supporting a bell shape that is quite large. Above the bell is a square throne, what axes, what segments and dewdrops. Which used to be hit by a rubber tree until the part was broken in the year 1936, the top still remains to see the Buddha throne above the treetop And there was a small Bodhi tree growing on the floor of the Buddha throne. Later in the year 1938 the Bodhi tree was torn down by the wind. The rest of the relics of the chedi had collapsed, forming a hollow, showing that there was a crocodile arch. inside the pagoda There is a garland strung with silver wire. beads of jade But it was stolen by criminals (Phla Wattano 2508:232), which the inner chedi may be a building during the construction of Phichit city. As evidence shows, the brick plate has Khmer inscriptions. to be discussed later

Ubosot It is located in the east or behind the main chedi. May be built in the Ayutthaya period Because in the Sukhothai period, there was not a popular building of the Ubosot. In addition, during the Ayutthaya period, the Ubosot was built in line with the viharn and the chedi. Which corresponds well with the results of the excavation of ancient monuments in 1991 by the Fine Arts Department that found that Wat Mahathat has 2 periods of construction, namely the Sukhothai period and the Ayutthaya period (Suthitham period 1999 :48).

Nine Room Temple Located in the west or in front of the main chedi (The temple faces west towards the Phichit River or the former Nan River) with 9 rooms.

Other important antiques There are both discovered by the villagers and those found by the Fine Arts Department. In 1952, the Fine Arts Department excavated the main chedi. Found Brick plate with ancient Khmer inscription 2 sheets, meaning "Sunthorn", possibly related to the word "Phichit", which means "beautiful" (Committee 2445 :73) From the consideration of letters on the bricks by the staff of the Fine Arts Department who inspected Wat Mahathat in this year 1952, the age of the letters was around the 18th Buddhist century (Pala Wattano 1965 :232)

One important antique It can be obtained from inside the main chedi, namely Phra Suphanbat The ancient Khmer inscription appeared with the name "Mueang Sra Luang" in 1959 (Sudthitham period 1999:7) which corresponds to the first stone inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng, which is assumed to be the ancient city of Phichit (Huan Phinthuphan 1977 :6 citing Her Majesty's Message)

Phra Suphanbat, or Lan Thong, is a gold leaf 4.5 centimeters wide and 14.2 centimeters long. The text appears as a royal command. Postponed one of the monks of Wat Mahathat (Phla Wattano 1965 :237-241)

Other antiques found before the Fine Arts Department entered the area, as far as they could find, were various types of amulets, such as silver bud, nettle leaves, gooseberry leaves, various colored glass amulets, amulets, amulets of various sizes. Metal deity, small saloon, alms bowl, jade garland strung with silver and gold wire. Large gold plated brick 25x75x15 cm (National Culture Council 2500 :29)

Therefore, the historical development sequence of Wat Mahathat may be summarized. Phichit Province, according to archaeological evidence that It may be an ancient place that has existed since around the 18th Buddhist century, as it appears that the building has a crocodile arch inside the bell-shaped chedi. The bricks are inscribed with ancient Khmer characters. and the history of building the old Phichit city by Chao Kanchana Kuman or Phraya Kotbong Thewarat Later in the Sukhothai period Therefore, it was restored by covering the bell-shaped chedi over it. build a temple and dug a ditch around it. Because this old Phichit city is important as the capital city of Sukhothai. As appears the name of the city of Sa Luang in the Sukhothai inscription. Until in the Ayutthaya period, an additional chapel was built at the back of Wat Mahathat in the axis of the main building. with the name of Phichit in the Chronicle of Ayutthaya King Nopparat's edition (Huan Phinthuphan 1977 :11)