Sunday, December 16, 2012

Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai ~ The Ancient Hariphunchai Chedi & One Of The Oldest Temples Of Lamphun - Thailand.

Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai - Lamphun province, is one of the royal temples in Thailand. There are many revered materials and worshiped place of Phra Buddha. The most important thing is Hariphunchai pagoda which is more than one thousand years old. It is situated at the middle of Buddha region. It's one of the most ancient temples in Lanna Thai which the king of Lanna Thai had built in the year BE1440. It's one of the 8 highest pagodas in Thailand which is more than 1,000 years old.
The Singha Entrance Gate - Sum Pratu khong, to the Wat PhraThat Haripunchai. It's architecture is called 'Thanpat luk Kaeo Okkai' that is mean 'Lotus base decorated with crystal balls and with a ridge pole' and 'Sumkong' of entrance gate style of roof. 
Having cement coated brick walls with pillars on both side arching and joined together, the roof top is built in the castle style superimposed on one another. The Singha Gate is believed to been built at the same time the Pagoda was renovated in 21st Century BE. In front of the gate is a stucco lion sculpture of early 2eth Century BE on each side. Originally on the east was the wooded bridge across the Mae Kuang River leading to Wat Phra Yuan, so the gate was named Sum Pratu Khong ThaSingha. 
 The Phra Buddha statues venerated at the both side after the entrance.
 The Main Ubosot of Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai.
 The photos taken inside the main Ubosot and the Phra Buddha Triple Gems.
 The Mural painting on the wall.
  The Main Golden Chedi is located just behind the main Ubosot. The photos taken with the Golden Chedi.
 The walking compound and the Vihara buildings of Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai.
 The inside of Vihara veneration of Phra Buddha statues.
 The Moon shaped Bell Tower. Originally it was built of 2 brick pillars which hung a large bronze moon shaped bell weighing 729,000 Tumlueng (1 Tumleung is equal to 60 grams). This Bell was cast in BE2403 at Wat Phra Singh, ChiangMai, as an offering to worship the Buddha Relic in PhraThat Hariphunchai Chedi. Later, the pillars were replaced bt 2 storey hall of Hariphunchai architectural design. The Moon Bell hung on first floor and second floor hung another bronze bell cast in the reign of Chao Daradirekratanapairoj, who ruled city of Lamphun during BE2414-2433.
 The Suwanna Chedi or known as Pathumwadi Chedi. A legend was told that King Athitayarat and his Royal consort Queen Pathumwadi had built Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai around BE1607. More details was found in the Mullasasana script that they both demanded the top of the principle Chedi be decorated with Gold and named it Suwanna Chedi of Golden Pagoda. This Golden Chedi was made of bricks with a tripple tier of laterite base. On the base stands the body with 5 stepped arched bays holding stucco work of Hariphunchai style Phra Buddha images in the standing position dated around 17th-18th Centuries BE, of the peak of Hariphunchai's Golden age of trade, religion and arts.
   The shrine of giant Phra Buddha Footprint.
 The Ho Tham, the Buddhist scripture tower was engraved on the Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai. The stone inscription no:15 recording that it was built by Phra Mueng Kaeo and his mother in year BE2053. It was meant to store the Tripitaka script and a Golden Buddha image cast on the same occasion.
 The Khao Phra Sumen, no historical evidence of the construction but ols photos show that Khao Phra Sumen is situated in front of Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai from the old time. Khao Phra Sumen was built according to the belief of the universe and center of the earth, which originated from India during the Vedic period.
The old photos of Wat PhraThat Hariphunchai and the Sala was restored in 1915 after it was damaged by fire.

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