Wat Chaiyo Ang Thong During Songkran - Royal Temple Thailand 2023

Wat Chaiyo or Wat Ket Chaiyo was built during the Ayutthaya Period. It became important during the reign of King Rama IV. The venerable Somdet Phra Phutthachan (To Phromrangsi) of Wat Rakhang Khositaram built the large Buddha image in a subduing Mara gesture and placed it outdoors. However, the image collapsed soon after construction. He re-built it in the same pose but smaller, covered it in plaster and without gold leaf. As the image could be seen from far, the villagers called it Luangpho To (meaning huge image). Further temple restoration during the reign of King Rama V the Buddha image collapsed again. The King ordered the renovation of the image with steel bars inside. The new image was covered in gold leaf and monks’ robes and was given the new name by King Rama V the Great “Phra Maha Phutthaphim”. A new main chapel was constructed to house the image. Upon completion, King Rama V the Great established the temple as one of the royal temples.

To pay respect to Luangpho To, you need a bunch of flowers, incense and a candle. People living in Ang Thong believe that a sinful person will never have the chance to pay respect to the sacred Luangpho To as he/she will feel that the image will collapse on him/her. The holy water from the temple is also believed to be able to cure any sickness. A story spread among the villagers said that people saw Luangpho To in their dreams making them become faithful to him. This story aligned with the belief of Buddhists that the Buddha image represents the Lord Buddha. Worship of it will make people want to do good deeds. The practice of the basic Buddhist principles along with the worship of the Buddha image will make one’s life forever happy.

When visiting Wat Chaiyo, there are three must-see sites. The first is Phra Ubosot, which extends from the front part of the chapel and is constructed in the beautiful traditional period Thai style of King Rama V. Inside are beautiful mural paintings depicting the life of the Lord Buddha and painted by craftsmen living in the same period. Another is the main chapel constructed to keep Phra Maha Phutthaphim, which is located by the Chao Phraya River.

The temple is very nice and rarely visited by tourists. I was very lucky to be able stop by and look around.

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