Wat Phra Phutthabat () is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

Saraburi Saraburi City (''thesaban mueang'') is the provincial capital of Saraburi Province in central Thailand. In 2020, it had a population of 60,809 people, and covers the complete ''tambon'' Pak Phriao of the Mueang Saraburi district. Location Sa ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. Its name means "temple of Buddha's footprint", because it contains a natural depression believed to be a

footprint Footprints are the impressions or images left behind by a person walking or running. Hoofprints and pawprints are those left by animals with hooves or paws rather than feet, while "shoeprints" is the specific term for prints made by shoes. The ...

of the

Lord Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

History

Phra Phutthabat temple was built in 1624 (B.E. 2168) by King

Songtham Songtham ( th, ทรงธรรม, ) or Intharacha III was the King of Ayutthaya from 1610/11 to 1628 of the House of Sukhothai. His reign marked the prosperity of the Ayutthaya kingdom after it regained independence from Toungoo Dynasty, and ...

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...

, after a hunter named Pram Bun found a large depression in the stone, resembling a huge

, near Suwan Banpot Hill or Satchaphanthakhiri Hill. The hunter reported his find to the king, who ordered workers to build a temporary

mondop The ''mondop'' ( th, มณฑป, from Pali/Sanskrit ) is a building form in traditional Thai religious architecture featuring a square or cruciform building with a usually pointed roof. In the narrow sense, it refers to an enclosed square buildin ...

to cover the

; this later became the temple.

Belief

The Bunnoowaat sutra tells of the flight of the Buddha to the peak of Mount Suwanbanphot, and of how he left his footprints. It is believed there are five footprints of the Buddha in different places including Phra Phutthabat temple. Some believe that worshiping the footprints, sprinkling water, or placing gold leaf on them will lead to the forgiveness of sin, success in life, or eternal happiness.

Geography

Phra Phutthabat temple is built in the mountains, mostly surrounded by forest. It is in Phra Phutthabat District, 28 kilometres from Saraburi City.

Festival

There are two main festivals held each year at Phra Phutthabat temple: *Holy Footprint festival - The Holy Footprint festival is held at the temple twice a year, usually in February and March. During this festival many Buddhist worshippers and tourists visit the temple to worship the Buddha’s footprint and participate in activities at the temple entrance. *Tak Bat Dok Mai Ceremony - Tak Bat Dok Mai Ceremony is considered as a main tradition function in Phra Phutthabat district. It is held at the start of the annual three-month

Buddhist Lent The ''Vassa'' ( pi, vassa-, script=Latn, sa, varṣa-, script=Latn, both "rain") is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners. Taking place during the wet season, Vassa lasts for three lunar months, usually from July ...

. During the ceremony, people give alms to monks, and offer candles for the Buddhist Lent to Phra Phutthabat temple. Finally, they offer white or yellow flowers to the monks in the late evening.

Sacred Footprint

The size of the footprint is about 53 cm (21 inches) wide, 152 cm (five feet) long, and 28 cm (11 inches) deep. The footprint is covered by a decorated golden case. Inside the case the footprint is covered with layers of gold leaf, coins and banknotes thrown by worshipers and visitors.

References

{{coord, 14.7183, N, 100.7886, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:TH, display=title Buddhist temples in Saraburi Province Thai Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries 17th-century Buddhist temples