Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan (Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ, also commonly referred to as Wat Yai) is a Buddhist temple (Wat

Wat

A wat is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" means "school".- Introduction :...

) in Phitsanulok

Phitsanulok

Phitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, where it is located on the bank of the Nan River

Nan River

The Nan River is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.-Geography:The Nan River originates in Nan Province. The provinces along the river after Nan Province are Uttaradit, Phitsanulok and Phichit. The Yom River joins the Nan River at Chum Saeng...

 near the Naresuan Bridge.

History

The cloister

Cloister

A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...

 of the temple was established in 1357 during the reign of King Maha Thammaradscha I of Sukhothai

Sukhothai kingdom

The Sukhothai Kingdom ) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438...

.

Phra Buddha Chinnarat

Wat Yai is famous throughout Thailand for its golden sculpture of the Buddha

Gautama Buddha

Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...

 called the Phra Buddha Chinnarat (Thai: พระพุทธชินราช). Many Thai people consider the Phra Buddha Chinnarat to be the most beautiful Buddha portrait in Thailand. It depicts Buddha in the posture of overcoming Mara (Thai: ปางมารวิชัย), also called Mara submission. A stone inscription indicated that he was molded over 700 years ago by a King Mahathamaracha Lithai of Sukhothai dynasty. Several faithful copies of the Phra Buddha Chinnarat are displayed in other temples, including Wat Benchamabophit

Wat Benchamabophit

Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram is a Buddhist temple in the Dusit district of Bangkok, Thailand. Also known as the marble temple, it is one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples and a major tourist attraction...

 in Bangkok and Wat Saranat Thammaram in Rayong. Also, the Phra Buddha Chinnarat is depicted on the official seal of the Phitsanulok Province

Phitsanulok Province

Phitsanulok is a provinces of Thailand, located in the north. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Uttaradit. In the north-east it also has a short border with Xaignabouli of Laos....

.

Architecture

The temple's large vihara

Vihara

Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....

 has an immense main entrance with mother-of-pearl inserts donated by King Boromakot

Boromakot

Somdet Phra Chaoyuhua Boromakot or Somdet Phra Boromaracha Dhiraj III was the king of Ayutthaya from 1732 to 1758. His reign was the last blooming period of Ayutthaya as the kingdom would fall nine years after his death....

 in 1756. Beyond the vihara is a Khmer style prang

Prang (architecture)

A prang is a tall finger-like spire, usually richly carved. This was a common feature of Khmer religious architecture and was later adopted by Thai builders, typically in the Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods. In Thailand it appears only with the most important religious buildings.The first Prangs in...

, the inside of which can be accessed via a stairway. The Prang is said to enshrine relics of the Buddha.

Museum

The Buddha Chinnarat National Museum, located on the temple grounds, houses a sizeable collection of Sukhothai period art.

Events

Festivals often take place on the temple grounds, including the annual Phra Buddha Chinnarat Fair. Also, on the first weekend of each October, the Phitsanulok Dragon Boat Races take place outside the temple in the river.

External links

• http://www.chumsang.net/Phitsanulok.php
• Phra Buddha Chinnarat Panorama