Wat Photharam () is an ancient

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

in Ban Dong Bang, Dong Bang Sub-district, Na Dun District, Maha Sarakham Province,

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan language, Isan/, ; ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli ''isāna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thai ...

region (northeastern) of Thailand. The temple dates back to the first half of the 19th century, during the reign of King

Rama III Nangklao (born Thap; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), also known by his regnal name Rama III, was the third king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 21 July 1824 to 2 April 1851. Nangklao was the eldest surviving son of King Rama II. ...

. It is situated in an old town zone called Ban Dong Bang. Previously, it was called 'Wat Pho Thong' (วัดโพธิ์ทอง) and renamed to 'Wat Photharam' in 1942 by the fourth abbot, Phra Kru Chan Di. The temple is known for its ''

hup taem Hup taem or hoop taem () is an Isan folk art style of murals found on the ordination halls, or ''sim'', at wat, Buddhist temples. Some ''hup taem'' are influenced by traditional Thai and Lan Xang artistic conventions, but the Isan folk art style ...

'' (ฮูปแต้ม) murals on the ''sim'' (สิม). The ''sim'', the

word for the main hall of the temple, features the story of '' Sinxay'', an epic poem of both

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

and

Isan people The Isan people (, , ; , ; , ; ) or literally Northeastern people are an ethnic group native to Isan, Northeastern Thailand with an estimated population of about 22 million. Alternative terms for this group are ''T(h)ai Isan'', ''Thai-La ...

. It was drawn with a process called ''hup taem'' (mural painting in Isan). Typically, according to all the ancient temples in the Isan, mural paintings,

Buddha image Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism. It includes depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, ...

s, pulpits, and stucco designs of the temples in the Isan in the past are exquisite with the unique Isan art style. This began with the

Lan Xang Lan Xang () or Lancang was a Lao people, Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's nat ...

art then Isan art by

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

and

Annamese The Vietnamese people (, ) or the Kinh people (), also known as the Viet people or the Viets, are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day northern Vietnam and southern China who speak Vietnamese, the most widely spoken Austroasi ...

artisans and has continued to the near present, which is a period that the temples in the Isan were generally determined to be built like those in Bangkok. Wat Photharam is one example that clearly demonstrates this type of indigenous art alongside nearby temple Wat Pa Lelai. The temple is registered as an

ancient monument An ancient monument can refer to any early or historical manmade structure or architecture. Certain ancient monuments are of cultural importance for nations and become symbols of international recognition, including the Baalbek, ruins of Baalbek ...

by the

Fine Arts Department The Fine Arts Department (, ) is a government department of Thailand, under the Ministry of Culture. Its mission is managing the country's cultural heritage. History The department was originally established by King Vajiravudh in 1912, split o ...

References

External links

*{{cite web, url=https://thailandtourismdirectory.go.th/en/info/attraction/detail/itemid/21597, title=Wat Photharam Church, work=ThailandTourismDirectory Tourist attractions in Maha Sarakham province category:19th-century Buddhist temples Buddhist temples in Maha Sarakham province Culture of Isan