Phra Prathon Chedi ( th, พระประโทณเจดีย์, ) is one of the oldest stupas in Thailand with the height of . The stupa is located in the Wat Phra Prathon Chedi Wora Viharn ( th, วัดพระประโทณเจดีย์เจดีย์วรวิหาร), a temple in

Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom ( th, นครปฐม, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in central Thailand, the former capital of Nakhon Pathom province. One of the most important landmarks is the giant Phra Pathommachedi. The city is also home to Thailand's ...

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 b ...

, 3 km east of Phra Pathommachedi. The name Phra Prathon Chedi means the holy stupa of Thona or Thanan ( th, ทะนาน), name of an ancient measurement. According to legend after the

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is ...

Gautama 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 Lu ...

, his relics were equally divided amongst 8 royal families and his disciples by using a golden Thona. This golden Thona eventually sent to ancient Nakhon Chai Si in

Suvarnabhumi ( sa, सुवर्णभूमि; Pali: '); my, သုဝဏ္ဏဘူမိ, ; km, សុវណ្ណភូមិ, ''Sovannaphoum''; and th, สุวรรณภูมิ, . is a toponym, that appears in many ancient Indian literary s ...

and kept inside a stone stupa in 590. King of Sri Lanka wanted the golden Thona, so he sent a prominent monk to ask the golden Thona from the King of Nakhon Chai Si. The king agreed in exchange of one Thona of holy relics of Buddha and built a new stupa to keep the holy relics, which is Phra Pathommachedi. In 656 King of Lavo ruled Nakhon Chai Si and rebuilt the stupa and named Phra Prathon Chedi.

History

Dvaravati Period

The original of Phra Prathon Chedi has no historical record, but according to archaeological survey findings date back to the 4th century. Modern Historians believe that the stupa was the principal stupas of ancient Nakhon Pathom, the largest settlement of Dvaravati culture together with the nearby Phra Pathommachedi (Thai: พระปฐมเจดีย์) during the 6th to the 8th centuries. Before excavation, archaeologists believed that the original structure of Phra Prathon Chedi was similar with the Great Stupa in Sanchi, India, with a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha with chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, on the top of stupa. After excavation, the stupa was built in

Dvaravati The Dvaravati ( th, ทวารวดี ; ) was an ancient Mon kingdom from the 7th century to the 11th century that was located in the region now known as central Thailand. It was described by the Chinese pilgrim in the middle of the 7th cent ...

style with multi-tiers brick square shape stupa, similar with

Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...

in Indonesia, but in much smaller scale.

Legend of Phaya Gong and Phaya Phan

Since the origin of Phra Prathon Chedi is unknown, there are many legends about the stupa construction. The most famous legend is the legend of Phraya Gong and Phraya Phan (Thai: ตำนานพระยากงพระยาพาน). The story is about a king of Nakhon Chai Si, Phraya Gong, had a baby boy, Phan, but the court astrologer predicted that Phan will commit fratricide in the future. Phraya Gong then abandoned Phan. The orphan baby had been unknowingly adopted by childless Granny Hom. Granny Hom raised Phan in Ratchaburi, a vassal city state of Nakhon Chai Si. One day an elephant of the local lord was in rut and attacked people. Phan went to see the elephant and was able to subdue it. After Ratchaburi lord heard about heroic act of Phan, the lord adopted Phan as his son. Phan wanted to conquer Nakhon Chai Si of Phraya Gong, so he sent a letter to Phraya Gong for war elephant duel battle. Phan killed Phraya Gong, and demand Phraya Gong's wife to become his queen according to ancient custom. When the queen met Phan, she recognized him to be her son, and told him the truth. Shocked Phan, now became king and named Phraya Phan, executed old Granny Hom for not reveal the truth before he killed his father. After realised that he did a great sin by killing both father and a person who raised him, Granny Hom, in the year 26 BCE Phraya Phan consulted with a group of

arhat In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...

s how to atone for his sin. The arhats recommended Phraya Phan to build a great stupa at great height that even the birds can not fly over. Phraya Phan then built Phra Pathommachedi for his father and Phra Prathon Chedi for Granny Hom.

Khmer Empire and Bagan Invasion

After the Khmer Empire annexed Dvaravati settlements including ancient Nakhon Pathom, in the 11th century, the stupa had been modified with a Khmer style temple on the top of stupa. Anawrahta of the

Bagan Kingdom The Kingdom of Pagan ( my, ပုဂံခေတ်, , ; also known as the Pagan Dynasty and the Pagan Empire; also the Bagan Dynasty or Bagan Empire) was the first Burmese kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-da ...

invaded and plundered ancient Nakhon Pathom. Then the city and the stupa had been abandoned and later overgrown by the jungle.

Later Development

King Mongkut ordered the restoration of Phra Prathon Chedi. He also built Khmer style prang on the top of the stupa, as he believed the design of Phra Prathon Chedi was the same with Phra Pathommachedi. Also under his reign the Phra Prathon Chedi Temple also had a major renovation. Vajiravudh started excavation on Phra Prathon Chedi Temple ground, and found many historic artefacts. Phra Prathon Chedi has been registered as a national heritage site in 1931. However in 1962 after long neglect Phra Prathon Chedi partially collapsed, due to the lack of budget or any help from the central Thai government, the abbot of Phra Prathon Chedi Temple restored the stupa to prevent any further collapse. In 1999 Phra Prathon Chedi has been restored to its

form for the first time by the Department of Fine Arts.

Gallery

File:Chedi Phra Pathon-005.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-004.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-008.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-2.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-1-HDR.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-006.jpg File:Chedi Phra Pathon-003.jpg

References

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