Wat Phra Si Mahathat

13°52′27.249774″N 100°35′36.145592″E / 13.87423604833°N 100.59337377556°E / 13.87423604833; 100.59337377556ArchitectureFounderRoyal Thai GovernmentCompleted1942WebsiteWat Phra Si Mahathat

Wat Phra Si Mahathat Wora Maha Viharn (Thai: วัดพระศรีมหาธาตุวรมหาวิหาร) is a Buddhist temple in the Bang Khen District of Bangkok. Construction began in 20 March 1941 in commemoration of the government victory over the Boworadet rebellion in 1933. Wat Phra Si Mahathat was designated a first-class royal monastery in 1942, making it one of the most significant temples in Thailand.^[1]

The temple is served by Wat Phra Sri Mahathat BTS station since June 2020.

History

Intended to be called Wat Prachathipatai (Thai: วัดประชาธิปไตย: Temple of Democracy), the temple was the initiative of Prime minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram. The temple would be the first temple built by the state, after the introduction of democracy following the Siamese revolution of 1932. The temple would be built close the Constitution Defense Monument in Bang Khen District's Lak Si Circle, which was near the site of a battle between the government led by the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) and royalists under Prince Boworadet in 1933. The temple is significant: "not only for the government to ideologically proclaim their victory over the conservative royalists, but also to symbolize the efforts by the People’s Party to shape the political landscape of the country."^[2]^[3]

In 1940, Thawan Thamrongnawasawat the Minister of Justice was made a special envoy and sent on a mission to British India. As result of this trip the minister received a piece of the Buddha's relic found at Dharmarajika Stupa, Taxila, modern day Pakistan. Thawan also brought back five branches of the Bodhi Tree (at the Mahabodhi Temple) and some soil samples from various sacred Buddhist sites. The government decided to enshrined all of these relics at the temple and the temple's name was changed to Wat Phra Si Mahathat (Temple of the Sacred relics). In 1941 the government raised the status of the temple to that of a first-class royal monastery and the name was altered to Wat Phra Si Mahathat Wora Maha Viharn.^[2]^[4]^[5]

The construction of the temple was completed on 24 June 1942, precisely on the tenth anniversary of the revolution.^[2]

Gallery

Historical hotograph of the temple from above
View of the temple from above in 2001
The back of the vihara of the temple
The great stupa of the temple
Inside the great stupa, a smaller golden stupa containing the relics of the Buddha

References

^ "Announcement of the Ministry of Public Instruction on the elevation of Wat Phra Si Mahathat to first-class royal monastery status. (แจ้งความกระทรวงธรรมการ เรื่อง ทรงพระกรุณาโปรดให้วัดพระศรีมหาธาตุเป็นพระอารามหลวงชั้นเอก)" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. เล่ม 58, ตอน 0 ง: 2154. 1941-07-30. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Noobanjong, Koompong (2011). "The Aesthetic of Power: A Critical Study on the Politics of Representations at Wat Benchama Bophit and Wat Phra Sri Mahathat, Bangkhen: สุนทรียภาพแห่งอําานาจ: การศึกษาเชิงวิพากษ์เรื่องการสื่อสัญลักษณ์ ทางการเมืองผ่านงานสถาปัตยกรรม ณ วัดเบญจมบพิตรและ วัดพระศรีมหาธาตุบางเขน". Faculty of Industrial Education, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand – via Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies, 2011.
^ "Wat Phra Si Mahathat Bangkok". Retrieved 2020-02-04.
^ "Unseen bang khen". www.bangkokpost.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
^ ศิลปวัฒนธรรม (2019-11-05). "จาก "วัดประชาธิปไตย" ถึง "วัดพระศรีมหาธาตุ" วัดสัญลักษณ์ประชาธิปไตย". ศิลปวัฒนธรรม (in Thai). Retrieved 2020-02-26.