Phra Pathom Chedi - the Great Pagoda of Nakhon Pathom
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Phra Pathom Chedi - the Great
Pagoda of Nakhon Pathom
The great pagoda of Nakhon Pathom, Phra Pathom Chedi Temple, Nakhon Pathom Province, is Thailand's oldest place of worship. It was built in the days of King Asoka, who sent missionaries to propagate the Buddhist faith in this part. Archeological scholars unanimously agree that Monk Sonathera and Monk Utrathera, the missionaries, first made nakhon Pathom their base of religious propagation around the 3rd Buddhist century. Originally the pagoda was built as an Indian-style stupa in the shape of a bowl put upside down. Subsequently, its shape was charged by restorations.
King Mongkut (Rama IV), during the
period of his monkhood, took to the road as a form of meritmaking and visited this place
of worship. He saw that the pagoda was one with a top 42 wahs high. After his departure
from monkhood to his enthronement the king started to build a new pagoda to enshroud the
old one, having a height of 120 meters and 45 centimeters, surrounded by viharas and
porches. The work had not been completed when the king died. King Rama V continued the
restoration work till its completion, in which the bell towers were built and the pagoda
decorated with tiles. King Rama VI carried out the restoration of the principal vihara, causing a picture of the old pagoda and various other
pictures to be dr
awn on its walls and the portics of the north vihara dismentled and
rebuilt in order to install the Buddha image named Phra Ruang Rojanaridhi Sri Indaratitaya
Dharmobhas Maha Vajiravudha Rajapujaniya Borpitra. King Rama VII carried out the
construction of the new oratory building.
The great pagoda of Nakhon Pathom is the place of the enshrinement of the Lord Buddha's remains which are respected by Buddhists all around the world. Each year, the temple holds the Festival of Worshipping the Great Pagoda of Nakhon Fathom from the 12th day of the waning moon of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of the waxing moon of the 12th lunar month, totaling nine months.
The Details of the Great Pagoda of Nakhon Pathom
The great pagoda of Nakhon Pathom is a large pagoda shaped like a bell with a large and
expanding mouth resting on the ground, its structure being logs tied together with Hugh
chains, covered with masonry, decorated on the surface with tiles. The pagoda consists of
viharas in all the four directions and two sets of glass walls.
| The height from the ground to the crown top | 120.45 metres |
| The base measured by circumference | 235.50 metres |
| The bell-mouth measured by diameter | 56.64 metres |
| The height from the bell-mouth to the square | 28.10 metres |
| Each side of the square | 18.80 metres |
| The body segments from the square to the top | 41.50 metres |
| The total number of the body segments | 27.00 metres |
| The number of division posts | 16.00 metres |
| The porches measured by circumference | 526.00 metres |
| The inner set of walls measured by circumference | 912.00 metres |
| The number of bell booths in the pagoda yard | 24.00 metres |
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