Wat Phra That Phanom วัดพระธาตุพนม is a Buddhist temple in the That Phanom District in the south of Nakhon Phanom Province, all within the Isan region of Thailand near the Lao border. According to local legend, the temple contains in the pagoda the …
Wat Phra That Phanom วัดพระธาตุพนม is a Buddhist temple in the That Phanom District in the south of Nakhon Phanom Province, all within the Isan region of Thailand near the Lao border. According to local legend, the temple contains in the pagoda the Phra Uranghathat (พระอุรังคธาตุ) Phra Ura (พระอุระ) Buddha's breast bones. As such, it is one of the most important structures for Theravada Buddhists and the most important Buddhist site in the province, with an annual week long festival being held in the town of That Phanom to honour the temple. This festival attracts thousands of people who make pilgrimages to the shrine. In Thai folk Buddhism, Wat Phra That Phanom is a popular pilgrimage destination for those born in the year of the Monkey.
The That Phanom Chronicle documented that the Phra That Phanom stupa was first constructed 8 years after the Buddha's death by the five kings of the Mon kingdom, known as Sri Gotupura. Archaeological findings suggest that the earliest structure found dates back to the 7th or 8th century.
According to local legend, the Buddha told Mahakasyapa, one of his principal disciples, that once he died, Mahakasyapa was to bring his breast bones to Phu Kampra to allow Buddhism to continue on. Then in 525 B.C, Mahakasyapa then decided on constructing a temple on Phu Kampra. Joined by 500 Arhats and 5 Phrayas, they built the Phra That Phanom stupa primarily from clay and once completed, the Buddha's breastbones were brought over from India and placed inside.
The pagoda is believed to have been built before the 1100s with its original Khmer design. However years of being part Lao kingdoms led to several renovations which created the current pagoda in a Lao style.
In 1690, the pagoda was restored and raised to about 47 meters, and then by a further 10 meters in 1940 to its current height.
In 1935, the complex was registered as an ancient monument for preservation by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.
In March 1975, an earthquake caus..
