Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya

Terrain

General condition

Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya, Wat Phra That Chaiya or Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya Worawihan It is located at 50, Wiang Subdistrict, Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province. It is a first-class royal monastery, Worawihan type, with an area of ​​​​42 rai, 1 ngan.

Temple territory

North to Raknakit Road

The south is next to the Chaiya Canal

East to the public road

West to Khlong Chaiya

Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya Organized as an archaeological site along the river with the Chaiya canal flowing through the south and west From archaeological evidence, it is assumed that The area has been used since the 14th-15th Buddhist centuries, then came into use again in the Ayutthaya period during the 18th and 22nd Buddhist centuries and has been renovated many times in later times.

Waterway

The canal associated with Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya is Khlong Chaiya, flowing through the south and west of the temple.

Geological conditions

Geological features of Surat Thani It is in the same group as the Eastern Seaboard Plains. with the germination of the land from river sediments The prevailing wind and sea water cause the plains to sink rivers and sand dunes, many of which are new sandbar ridges that were formed during the Holocene about 11,000 years ago (Thailand Archeology Project (Southern) Division, Archeology Division, Fine Arts Department, 1983). ,1-4)

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya is a first-class royal monastery of the same type as the Royal Worawihan. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej granted royal permission to raise it to be a royal temple of the third class of ordinary type on May 28, 1876, named "Wat Phra That Chaiya", later promoted to Phra Borommathat Chaiya. It is a first-class royal monastery. Rajawiwihan type and gave a new name as Phra Borommathat Chaiya on February 6, 1957

The history of Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya has no evidence of the exact year it was built. From the architectural style of Phra Borommathat Chedi, it is assumed that it was a chedi built around the 13th-18th Buddhist centuries, along with Wat Wiang, Wat Kaew, Wat Long, later Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya was abandoned for a while until Phra Kru Sophon Jesikaram (Nu Tisso) ) was the chief persuading the abbots of various temples to renovate this monastery in 1896 - 1910.

Important structures inside Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya are:

1. Phra Borommathat Chedi It is a castle-shaped chedi on top of a stupa. Ruen That has a cross-shaped layout. There are four tetrahedrons standing out from the middle of the wall of the elemental house. On the east side there is a staircase leading into the central hall. The height from the base to the canopy is approximately 24 meters. There are architectural components as follows:

- The base is a chopping board base overlapping 2 floors, connected with a lotus base, a square plan decorated with 1-storey wall columns, the base size north to south is 10 meters long (at present, the temple has dug around the area to see the original base of ancient site) The upper part of the lotus ball base is the courtyard. There is a replica stupa decorated at all 4 corners.

- Ruen That Chedi There is a lotus base of glass beads to support another elemental house. The corner of the elemental house is a pseudo-pole wall in the middle of the groove. The porch on the east has a staircase leading up to worship the Buddha image inside the pagoda. The interior room measures 2x2 meters. Currently, there are 8 Buddha images enshrined at the base. The other three porches are solid. Each corner of the porch is a wall column. Above the porch there is a kudu or gable arch decorated with stucco in the shape of a horseshoe arch. Inside the kudu there is a stucco pattern. Emblem of the reign of King Chulalongkorn which was caused by later repairs

- The top is a 3-storey roof, decorated with 8 replicas of stupa, the upper part is made of a bell-mouthed lotus to support an octagonal bell, an octagonal throne, a 5-layer octagonal joint, a cluster of lotuses and a spire which was repaired during the reign of King Rama IX. King Chulalongkorn

The importance of Phra Borommathat Chaiya is from the form of the chedi. It is assumed that it is the same architecture as the ancient site of Wat Wiang. Wat Kaew and Wat Long Around the 14th-15th Buddhist century, the architectural style of Phra Borommathat Chaiya that is seen today is a result of many renovations.

2. The chedi is located around Phra Borommathat Chaiya Chedi on all 4 sides. The chedi on the northeast side is a chedi with a square base. The ground floor is a high-shaped lotus base. masonry Supporting the base of the crystal ball lotus supports the spherical bell the top is the throne Why is it that the part and the leaves are believed to have been built in the Ayutthaya period? The other 3 pagodas are round in the shape of Lanka. It is located on a round cutting board base. Support 8 rows of crystal ball garlands, sphere bell body on the mouth of the lotus bell. The top has no throne. It has a tiered stem and wands and leaves the top, presumably built in the Rattanakosin period.

3. Phra Viharn Luang is on the east side of Phra Borommathat Chaiya. Behind the temple was built, protruding into the crooked temple area. Inside is enshrined Buddha images in Ayutthaya art. Changchaiya Surname

4. The Ubosot is located to the west of Phra Borommathat Chaiya. It was rebuilt in 1955 to replace the old chapel that had been demolished. The principal Buddha image in the Ubosot is a red sandstone Buddha image. Pang Mara Wichai, Ayutthaya period art In front of the principal Buddha image is enshrined a pair of Phatthasima, which originally belonged to the old Ubosot in the Ayutthaya period.

5. Crooked balcony, crooked viharn or terrace It is a balcony surrounding the relics in a square plan. Width 38 meters on each side, 4 meters high. It is assumed that it was built in the Ayutthaya period. Inside enshrines 180 Buddha images in various postures, the villagers call them Phra Wien.

6. outdoor buddha enshrined in a glass wall Northeast side of Viharn Luang It is a large red sandstone Buddha image, 3 Buddha images, Ayutthaya art, Chaiya genus.

There are also important artifacts found within the temple, namely the bronze Bodhisattva Avalotikesuan 2 Kor, found on the lawn on the northeastern side of Phra Borommathat Chaiya. under the bodhi tree Sculpture-like art of Central Java The age is around the Buddhist century. 14, Bodhisattva Avalotiket, bronze, 8 arm, determine the age of the 14th Buddhist century, Bodhisattva Avalotikeshwara stone, 2 arms, Cham art, determine the age of the Buddhist century 15, Buddha statues, stone and stucco Influences on Indian art in the Gupta period and Dvaravati art, the Buddha image of red sandstone and stucco in the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin periods, Yoni base, etc. (Nongkran Srichai, 2001,150-159)

in the side part There is a temple with Chaiya National Museum, which is a collection of art and antiques in Chaiya for people to visit and study.

Summary of the importance of Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya From archaeological evidence, it is assumed that The area has been used since the 14th-15th Buddhist centuries and was re-used during the Sukhothai to Ayutthaya periods during the 18th and 22nd Buddhist centuries, and there was another major renovation during the reign of King Rama V. 5 during the period 1896 - 1910 by Phrakhru Sophon Jesikaram (Nu Tisso)

Today, Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya It is a sacred place of Surat Thani Province and has become an important tourist attraction of the province.

Relevant local legend

story about "Father-in-law Padman" said patch the doctor and patch man. Two brothers are Indians. Take a sailing boat to Chaiya town. Landed with his servants at Ban Na Khai at Na Mueang Temple in Lamet Subdistrict Patcho is a master craftsman with knowledge of construction engineering, having his hands and feet cut off when the relics were completed. and could not withstand the poison of the wound, he died The patch had his hands and feet cut off because the city lord didn't want Patch Doctor to build another ancient site. When the patch is dead Therefore, the idea was to cast the image of Phra Avalotikaworn as a symbol of his identity. Parman reigned on the island of Phaman and settled until his death. The place where Paman lived was a non-flooding area, surrounded by rice fields, covering an area of ​​1 rai. In the past, it was very privileged. villagers respect The Manorah group travels through and has to perform an offering dance.

Some legends say that the Indians who came to Chaiya at that time had four brothers, namely Pa Mo, Pa Man, Pawe, and Pahum. When the relics were completed His hands were cut off and his feet were cut off and could not stand the venom of the wound, so he died. Other constructions that Patch had built include:Wat Kaew and Wat Long Wat Kaew has a stabbing pattern and a puzzle that “Wat Kaeo Sri Thammasokrat has been built. Dig and shine four feet Stepping on the mouth of Phaniang Thong, whoever thinks of having to eat will never end up eating.”

The place of residence of the patch It is assumed that this is the area of ​​the big Samrong tree next to Wat Wiang. Area where the court is located Considered as a sacred place until now (Pathum Chumphenphan, 1976,20 -21)