Wat Phra Singh is on the Sam Lan Road, Tambon Phrasingh, Mueang District, Chiang Mai. Phraya Pha Yu (1345-1367) had the temple built as a place to keep the ashes of his father, Phraya Kham Fus (1338-1345). The temple was named, at first, Wat Li Chiang Phra and was later changed to Wat Phra Singh in the Phraya Saen Mueang Ma (1388-1401) period after he had brought the Phra Phuttha Sihing to be presided at the temple.
Today, a number of tourists are interested in coming to visit the temple. There are many attractive buildings and structures such as the Principal vihara or Vihan Luang with the deity Nayarana (Rama) riding on a Garuda in a delicately decorated floral designed gable. Inside the vihara resides a large Buddha image in the subduing mara posture called the Luang Pho To. Behind it is the Lai Kham Vihara that, though being placed behind the main one, its beauty sparkles out brightly from the golden design gable. The arched doors and the wall behind the Principal Buddha or the Phuttha Sihing is decorated with a golden design on a vermilion background. Both sides of the vihara walls are murals telling the story of Suwannahong and Sang Thong dated from around the 24th - 25th Centuries B.E. The Phuttha Sihing Buddha image kept here is a significant Buddha image of Chiang Mai.
Another interesting building is the Tripitaka Scripture Library built as a two story building on the left of the Principal Vihara. The library was meant to store the Tripitaka scripture and other Buddhist texts (It is not in use anymore). One interesting piece of information about it is the decorative designs on the two floors. The top floor was decorated with gold in lacquering techniques in water pot and floral designs whereas the first floor was decorated with stucco designs of beasts from the Himmapan epic.
The chedi of this temple is surrounded with elephants but it is different from others in that it has only one elephant on each side.
References
Chiang Mai Teachers College. Chiang Mai Cultural Center. (1993). Wat samkhan khong nakhon Chiang Mai lem 3 (significant temples of Chiang Mai vol.3). (in Thai). Chiang Mai: So. Sapkarnphim.
Sanguan Chotsukrat. (1973). Tamnan phuen mueang Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai folk legends). (in Thai). Pranakhon :
Historical Publication Committee, Office of the Prime Minister.
Chiang Mai University Library
Chiang Mai
ntic@lib.cmu.ac.th
Chiang Mai University. Information Technology Service Center
Chiang Mai
itsc@itsc.cmu.ac.th
Chiang Mai University, Funder
Usanee Thongchai, Advisor and project expert
1987
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