We came to this temple because it was on my list, but when we got there, I had no idea why.
Until the end, when we found a building in the corner that houses the ‘replacement’ Jade Buddha.
Not really Jade, but green. But they call it Jade.
When we arrived, there was a lot of activity around, which was unusual in my experience unless it was tourists milling about.
That was not the case here. These were monks and helpers of the monks, and a couple of tourists.
That is because, as I found out, Wat Phra Kaew is also famous as one of the royally endowed temple in Chiang Rai province. The abbot, Phra Dhammarachanuwat, is the ecclesiastical head of all North Thailand.
So, gotta look sharp for the boss, and the benefactor if he happens to stop by.
Wat Phra Kaew is one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist temples in Chiang Rai, although they can’t claim the oldest title officially because it is unclear when the temple was founded.
But, we do know the temple was originally called Wat Pa Ya or Wat Pa Yea, which means “the Temple in the Golden Bamboo Forest.” It was surrounded by a dense yellow bamboo grove locally known as Yeah or Yah.
I cannot deduct points for stating the obvious when it comes to naming temples around here. Well done.
It is also well known and documented that in 1434 a bolt of lightning hit an old Chedi at the temple. The chedi predictably was damaged, to the point it fell apart and in the rubble revealed a Buddha covered in stucco.
The Buddha was put in the abbot’s residence, and he noticed the stucco was flaking off Buddha’s nose, revealing a green color.
with my kids I usually send them to the doctor to get antibiotics if the nose is flaking and green. I suppose they didn’t have antibiotics back then. Or doctors.
So the abbot saw green and decided to chip away at the stucco, and found… a Buddha made of “green semi-precious stone.” Not jade. Or perhaps it is. Some say it is made of jasper and not jade, but I do not honestly know the difference.
The point is, this stucco free object became known as Phra Kaew Morakot, or the Emerald Buddha. Emerald is referring to the color, not the composition.
And the temple where it was found was renamed What Phra Kaew, in honor of the Emerald Buddha.
The obvious question becomes, how did the emerald Buddha end up covered in stucco in a chedi in Thailand?
Answer: nobody is sure, but there is a legend. Those are always the best stories.
The Emerald Buddha was sculpted by gods to present to Nagasena. He was Not sure who that is, but he stayed somewhere in India. From that point until it ended up in Bangkok, the statue bounced around
The Emerald Buddha was said to have been sculpted by gods to present to Nagasena, who was a Sarvastivadan Buddhist sage who lived around 150 BC. Another version says Nagasena carved the Emerald Buddha himself and took it from India to Thailand. Not sure why, but it did end up in Thailand.
But wait there is more! Not sure exactly who did the foot work on this, but the statue moved around a lot.
The chronology according to the legend starts in Sri Lanka, moves to Cambodia, then to Angor Wat specifically. On to Sri Ayudhaya (the old Capital of Thailand); Lopuri province, Thailand; Kampaeng Phet Province, Thailand; then stayed in Chiang Rai for 45 years from 1391 – 1436, where it was ‘discovered’ in 1434.
It then traveled to Lampang for 32 years, back to Chiang Mai for 85 years, then settled down in Luang Prabang and Viantiane of Lao for 225 years.
This statue has traveled more than I have. Of course, it had centuries to do it and was hidden in a stucco stupa for a while, but still.
Admit it. Stucco Stupa is fun to say.
Finally, in 1778, when King Rama I of Bangkok was still a general, he captured Vientiane and brought the Emerald Buddha back to Thailand.
Bangkok was established as the capital and on 22 March 1784, the Emerald Buddha found it’s final home… so far… and became the palladium of Thailand. The image has been regarded as the most sacred object in Thailand ever since.
And now after bothering to learn all of that, when I go to Bangkok, I am going to lay eyes on this magical, well traveled Buddha. So watch for that post.
So, if this Emerald Buddha is in Bangkok, why bother to come to this temple? Good question.
Because, for the occasion of Princess Mother’s 90th birthday in 1990, they had a new Emerald Buddha commissioned so the place of honor at Wat Pra Kaew would be filled, and they would have a reason for their name. It can be so bothersome renaming things.
Made of jade brought from Canada, the new Phra Kaew Marakot was carved in China and is an intentionally close but not exact replica of the original Phra Kaew Marakot in Bangkok. The new image is called Phra Yok Chiang Rai (Chiang Rai Jade Buddha) and it is it is 48.3 cm wide across the lap and at 65.9 cm high, just 0.1 cm shorter than the original. It is kept in Haw Phra Yok.
The new Phra Yok Chiang Rai
This is a well supported and admired Temple, so there is obviously more than one thing to look at here. Especially since the main thing to look at has been in Bangkok for years.
Phra Uposatha is a medium size, carved wooden ubosoth built in 1890. Originally it was a Vihara built in the “Chiang Saen” style, and the architectural style is known as “incubating hen.”
I… have no idea what to say about that. Does it imply a hen laying an egg, or an egg incubating? Really brings back the chicken and egg debate.
The egg palace holds one of the largest Buddha images in Thailand. Known as Pra Jao Lan Thong, the image is made of brass and copper, and is believed to be 700 years old.
Phra Jao Lan Thong is a Buddha statue made of brass and copper. It is housed in the ubosoth here.
Phra Jao Lan Thong is believed to be 700 years old, and as is the theme of this temple, it bounced around a bit before settling down. The image was originally housed at Wat Phra Chao Lan Thong in Chiang Rai, then moved to Wat Ngam Muang, and then to Wat Phra Kaew in 1961. Thus it is now called Phra Jao Lan Thong.
Other things at this temple…
