Wat Phra Samut Chedi

Terrain

General Condition

Wat Phra Samut Chedi is located on the Chao Phraya River Basin. At the end of the Chao Phraya River above the Gulf of Thailand Also known as estuary due to the southern seashore, it has been influenced by the flood waters.

Waterway

Gulf of Thailand There is the Chao Phraya River flowing through the east.

Geological conditions

Wat Phra Samut Chedi is located in Samut Prakan Province. It is classified as a river basin in the lower central region. or the delta area It is an area formed by sediment deposition until it emerges above sea level. which is still being deposited all the time The Chao Phraya River Basin is a shallow area. The water flows slowly, so there is a lot of sedimentation. This creates shoals and the water always changes its path. It can be said that the action of running water is a geomorphological process of this area that causes erosion, conduction and deposition. The soil texture consists of slightly sandy clay body. Retains water well when water is immersed. (Office of the National Research Council of Thailand Ministry of Science Technology and Environment, 1995, 45-46)

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Phra Samut Chedi is an important sanctuary located on the right bank of the Chao Phraya River (facing the sea) or west of the Chao Phraya River. It is a symbolic architecture of Samut Prakan Province.

The event behind the construction of Phra Samut Chedi happened at the time of King Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai His Majesty had the city of Samut Prakan be modified to have a strong and stable seaside fortress with the thought that Samut Prakan was the first city at the mouth of the river that the enemy would invade the city. The construction of Samut Sakhon was successful in 1822. And while he was looking at the work, he saw a sand island formed at the end of the Pheasant Samut Island Fort, so he had an idea to build a Maha Chedi on that island to commemorate that His Majesty's permission to build a fort was meant to Prevent Buddhism from all enemies, so when the city is completed, immediately rush to fill the island on the beach. (History of Nakhon Khuean Khan, 2501, 23-27) by giving the King's daughter Krom Muen Jesadabodin to be the mother Kong and the Chao Phraya Phra Klang (Dish) to proceed with the construction, starting from the use of stones to fill the island to make the ground tight. High above the water, please allow Somdej Phra Bowonraj Chao Maha Sakdipol to eat and Phraya Ratchasongkram to write a plan of the Maha Chedi for viewing and modifying it until it is satisfied with his heart. "Phra Samut Chedi" with the royal name of Samut Prakan, doing just that, he died in 1824. King Rama VII Please continue the construction by allowing Chao Phraya Si Thammarat (Noi) and Chao Phraya Phra Klang (Dis) to be the masters of the construction of the Maha Chedi according to the pattern until it was completed in 1828. It is a shape that Somdej Phra Buddha Loetla Naphalai had the idea to build, which was a ten-twelve-high wooden indented chedi. Wa, besides the Samut Chedi, the building at the same time also has a glass wall surrounding the Samut Chedi and the four residence halls are located. direction included (History of Phra Samut Chedi and Wat Klang Worawihan, 1965, 11)

After the construction of the Samut Phra Samut was completed a little, King Rama VI gave the royal relics and Phra Pitaka Dharma from Bangkok to be packed at the bell neck of Phra Samut Chedi, but later, the criminals dug the Buddha's relics. Watching Phra Samut Chedi can't catch the bad guys, so it's closed until the end of the reign.

The reign of King Mongkut He paid homage to Phra Samut Chedi during his visit to Samut Prakan and requested that Phra Samut Chedi be renovated to be taller, larger and more stable as appeared in His Majesty's wish. “Phra Samut Chedi is an important pagoda that foreigners must see as an honor to the land before other important pagodas, but the island area is narrow. (History of Phra Samut Chedi and Wat Klang, 1965, 11)

In addition to the fact that there were people who told about the disappearance of the Buddha's relics, His Majesty had the idea that because it was a wooden chedi with twelve bells, the bell was not packed tightly with the Buddha's relics, so he asked the technician to take a photo of the Lom-Fang chedi in Ayutthaya.

In the restoration work, the island was filled up to be wider than before, made the Samut Chedi in the shape of straw (bell-shaped) and wrapped the original chedi so that it had a height of 19 wa 2 cubits. The expanded base made the base. Prathaksin has a chedi in the 4th direction. The statue is placed on the second floor of the royal pedestal. and surrounded by elephants at the base.

The important thing besides the chedi that was added during the renovations during this reign is the wall surrounding the large Phra Viharn facing the sea. (Demolish the southern residence hall built in the reign of King Rama 3 Down and build this viharn instead) 4 pavilion in the south, only the south is made into a three-porch Thai pavilion, the other three sides are a pavilion in Chinese style, building an altar for placing an altar, a bell tower and a candle tower, 1 each A pair of lanterns encircled Lak Lak Island, laid around it for tying laterite boats around the island on the north side, which was an area filled with additional temples to build two small temples next to the little viharn, and to the north built large pots for planting. Phra Sri Maha Pho, which received tablets from Bodhgaya and bestowed the royal relics from the Grand Palace, then raised the top of Phra Samut Chedi in 1861. (Committee for organizing events in honor of His Majesty the King, 1999, 67; History of Phra Samut Chedi and Wat Klang, 1965,12; Watinee Kaewket, 2005,17)

Later, in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, there was a repair of the Wiharn, the four pavilion in all four directions, the demolition of two little viharas and the northern pavilion, which was very damaged, then ordered to build a European-style five-room pavilion instead. (Some say that the Phra Sri Maha Bodhi tree on the north side was planted in this period. The Organizing Committee of the Celebration of His Majesty the King's Birthday, 1999, 67)

The Phra Samut Chedi art style has a plan that the main structures along the direction of the axis are Phra Viharn Luang Phra Chedi, European-style buildings and Phra Sri Maha Bodhi trees.

The form of the chedi that appears today is built during the reign of King Rama IV. By changing from the twelve wooden recessed chedi, which was a popular style in the reigns of King Rama 1-3. It is a bell-shaped chedi that was popularly built during the reign of King Rama IV. Phra Samut Chedi is a round chedi set on an octagonal base surrounded by a glass wall with brown tiles in Chinese patterns at the base of the lower lotus, pierced by a wooden alcove, an elephant sculpture in the middle, a staircase leading up on all four sides. Ascend to the second floor of the royal courtyard that has a balcony decorated with brown tiles. There are 2 stairs on each of the 4 sides leading to the upper courtyard that supports the main chedi and the corner chedi. Four, which from the main chedi style, can be considered to represent the development of art in this era, that is, a bell-shaped chedi was built back in the Ayutthaya period, but some elements were modified until it became a characteristic of art. During the reign of King Rama IV For example, making a base to support a bell-shaped pagoda, a square pillar, including a wire pattern that adorns the wood and why. (Watinee Kaewket, 2005,77)

The remaining important buildings are Viharn Luang, built during the reign of King Rama IV. There is an upper part made of plaster according to the royal style in the reign of King Rama 3. Because it is easy to build and has stability, strength, but has a Thai pattern structure that maintains the order of Cho Fah Bai Ro Khang Hong. For the stucco pattern in the center of the gable is a three-headed elephant, a symbol of King Rama V's reign. Therefore, it is assumed that it may be a major change during the reign of King Rama V. (Watinee Kaew Ket, 2005,32, 77) Inside the Viharn Luang, there is a Buddha image in the posture of prohibiting the ocean, enshrined in a stucco arch in the shape of a Maha Bodhi, with an image of Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut adorned at the top of the arch.

for European-style buildings built in the reign of King Rama V On the north side of the pagoda is a brick and mortar building. The building is western style without a gable roof like Thai style. Inside enshrines a portrait of King Rama II. Inside there are also paintings written in 1995. There are pictures of the construction of Samut Prakan City and the construction of Phra Samut Chedi. (The Organizing Committee in Honor of His Majesty the King, 1999, 83-84, 87)

There are also other archaeological evidence remaining such as the octagonal stone pillar with the top of the pillar in the shape of a lotus flower, built during the reign of King Rama III. Currently, a little above the ground, the drum tower and the bell tower were built during the reign of King Rama IV. Sala Rai which originally had four houses but the reign of King Rama IV Changed the front pavilion to be a royal viharn and King Rama V Changed the pavilion in the back to the current European-style building, leaving only two houses on the side at the reign of King Rama 3. Please make it look like a Chinese cab. Check to match the history above.

At present, the location of Phra Samut Chedi, which was originally an island in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand, has been deposited by sediment until no longer remains as an island in the middle of the water.

Worshiping Phra Samut Chedi is an annual event of Samut Prakan Province on the 5th waxing moon of the 11th lunar month (The Organizing Committee for the Celebration of His Majesty the King, 1999, 135).