Wat Phra Sing ( th, วัดพระสิงห์, nod, 50px), or sometimes spelled etymologically as Wat Phra Singh, 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 ...

located on Tha Luang Road in ''

Tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...

'' Wiang, Mueang district, Chiang Rai Province in northern

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 ...

History

It was unclear about who first built the temple. According to '' Jinakālmālīpakarna'', the Buddharupa ' (known shortly as ''Phra Singh'') was brought from Kamphaeng Phet to

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...

by the ruler of Chiang Rai and brother of , ''Thao Maha Brahma''. Phaya Keu Na later ordered the sanctum where Phra Singh was enshrined to be rebuilt. Phra Singh, hence, was transported to be enshrined at the royal vihara in Chiang Rai. The vihara was later known by its Buddharupa and thus called "Wat Phra Singh" (

wat A wat ( km, វត្ត, ; lo, ວັດ, ; th, วัด, ; khb, 「ᩅᨯ᩠ᨰ」(waD+Dha); nod, 「ᩅ᩠ᨯ᩶」（w+Da2)) is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Provi ...

fPhra Singh). Moreover, Thao Maha Brahma ordered a replica of Phra Singh to be created at Koh Don Thaen (เกาะดอนแท่น) in

Chiang Saen Chiang Saen may refer to: * Chiang Saen District, in Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand * Chiang Saen, a capital of the ancient Lanna The Lan Na Kingdom ( nod, , , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; th, อาณาจักรล้� ...

. It was later enshrined in Wat Phra Singh of Chiang Rai ever since. After the death of Phaya Keu Na, his son reigned the kingdom. Thao Maha Brahma, who could not stand Phaya Saen Mueang Ma taking the throne, battled over Chiang Mai but failed. After he was captured by Phaya Saen Mueang Ma, Phra Singh was ordered to be returned to Chiang Mai where it has been located in the temple that shares the name in Chiang Mai since.

Artefacts and Buildings

Ubosot

The

ubosot The ordination hall is a Buddhist building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual ('' upasampada'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Patimokkha. The ordination hall ...

was built in 1890. It was though to be built on the base of a former Lanna-era vihara. It shares architectural styles with the ubosots of

Wat Ngam Mueang A wat ( km, វត្ត, ; lo, ວັດ, ; th, วัด, ; khb, 「ᩅᨯ᩠ᨰ」(waD+Dha); nod, 「ᩅ᩠ᨯ᩶」（w+Da2)) is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Provi ...

and

Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Rai Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว) is a third-common-class royal temple situated in the area of 10,640 square metres on Trairat road, Wiang sub-district, Muang Chiang Rai in Chiang Rai City, Thailand. The King of Thailand upgrad ...

. It was possible that the same architect team designed all the three temples' ubosots. Phra Singh Luang (พระสิงห์หลวง) is the main Buddharupa in the

, posing in Maravijaya attitude. It is 2.04-metre wide and 2.84-metre high. At the base is an inscription in

Tai Tham script Tai Tham script (''Dharma, Tham'' meaning "scripture") is the name given to an abugida writing system used mainly for a group of Southwestern Tai languages i.e., Northern Thai language, Northern Thai, Tai Lue language, Tai Lü, Khün language, K ...

saying "kusalā dhammā akusalā dhammā abayakatā dhammā" which means "

Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

can be divided into three conditions; some are "kushala" (good-doing), some are "akushala" (bad-doing), and some are neither."อภิชิต ศิริชัย. มรดกแห่งนครเชียงราย. พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 1. เชียงราย: ล้อล้านนา, 2020. The door panels were decorated by the Chiang Rai-based artist

Thawan Duchanee Thawan Duchanee ( th, ถวัลย์ ดัชนี; September 27, 1939 – September 3, 2014) was a Thai contemporary painter, architect and sculptor with an international reputation. In 2001, this notable artist was given the prize by the ...

. The four animals symbolise the four elements that exist in human body.

Wihan Kaew

Wihan Kaew (วิหารแก้ว; the glass vihara) was built in place of the former Hall of Phra Kaew Noi which was built in 1891 and demolished in 2008. The interior is decorated with murals depicting the legend of Phra Singh. Inside the Wihan Kaew enshrined the Buddharupa ''Phra Singh Noi'' ("the small rPhra Singh") which is 37 centimetre-wide and 66-centimetre high. It was relocated from Chiang Mai in 1843 by Khru Ba Pawon Panya, along with the citizens to rebuild Chiang Rai. อภิชิต ศิริชัย ปริวรรต. จดหมายเหตุเมืองเชียงราย ยุคฟื้นฟูเมืองเชียงราย พ.ศ. 2386-2446. พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 1. เชียงราย: ล้อล้านนา, 2015.

References

{{reflist Phra Singh, Chiang Rai