Phitsanulok Attractions
Description
Venue: Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat When: Daily
Around 30 years ago, a great fire destroyed much of Phitsanulok, including some irreplaceable 14th century palaces and temples. Miraculously the central temple, or wat, escaped the fire, thereby protecting the second most important Buddha image in the land.
All year round, pilgrims come to pay their respects to this image known as the Phra Buddha Chinnarat. In addition, on the sixth day of the waxing moon of the third month in the Thai lunar calendar (generally February) the town honours the holy statue with a week of festivities, including folk theatre performances, traditional dancing and music.
The statue itself is late Sukhothai in style, cast in the 14th century and made of gleaming bronze. The Buddha's apparently miraculous powers are the root of its fame. In the most famous incident, the statue apparently wept tears of blood when the Ayutthayan princes ousted the Sukhothai regent back in the 15th century. The rare flame-like halo framing the upper body and head and tapering off into nagas (snake spirits) at the arm rests, makes this a particularly arresting Buddha. Naturally, its form has spawned many copies, including an almost perfect replica commissioned by Rama V and now housed in the Marble Temple, Bangkok.
When visiting Phitsanulok, it is a good idea to explore the the ancient city kingdoms of Kamphaeng Phet and Sukhothai. UNESCO includes Sukhothai and its environs on its list of World Heritage Sites.
If you are visiting the festival we suggest you check the dates with local tourist offices.
Around 30 years ago, a great fire destroyed much of Phitsanulok, including some irreplaceable 14th century palaces and temples. Miraculously the central temple, or wat, escaped the fire, thereby protecting the second most important Buddha image in the land.
All year round, pilgrims come to pay their respects to this image known as the Phra Buddha Chinnarat. In addition, on the sixth day of the waxing moon of the third month in the Thai lunar calendar (generally February) the town honours the holy statue with a week of festivities, including folk theatre performances, traditional dancing and music.
The statue itself is late Sukhothai in style, cast in the 14th century and made of gleaming bronze. The Buddha's apparently miraculous powers are the root of its fame. In the most famous incident, the statue apparently wept tears of blood when the Ayutthayan princes ousted the Sukhothai regent back in the 15th century. The rare flame-like halo framing the upper body and head and tapering off into nagas (snake spirits) at the arm rests, makes this a particularly arresting Buddha. Naturally, its form has spawned many copies, including an almost perfect replica commissioned by Rama V and now housed in the Marble Temple, Bangkok.
When visiting Phitsanulok, it is a good idea to explore the the ancient city kingdoms of Kamphaeng Phet and Sukhothai. UNESCO includes Sukhothai and its environs on its list of World Heritage Sites.
If you are visiting the festival we suggest you check the dates with local tourist offices.
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