Wat Yai Chaimongkhon

 

This monastery is also known as Wat Phra Chao Phya-thai and Wat Yai Chai-mongkol. The main Chedi here stands 62 meters high and took over 28,000 tons of bricks to construct. The chedi was constructed in 1357 by King U-Thong for monks who had been studying Buddhism in Ceylon. Upon their return, the King named the Monastery, Wat Chao Phya-thai which means “The Temple of the Supreme Patriarch.”   Later, the chedi was renamed Phra Chedi Chai-mongkol, meaning Auspicious Victory, to commemorate a victory over the Burmese. It is a bit unclear how exactly the named transferred from Chai-Mongkol to Chai-Mongkhon.

It is a beautiful location and the chedi are fairly well preserved. There is much erosion of the brick, especially on the main chedi and steps ascending to the top. The grounds are open with very little shade. Surrounding the main chedi are lines of ceramic Buddhas.  A very impressive sight, especially from the top of the chedi.  The climb to the top of the main chedi is steep and the brick stairs are very eroded.  The descent is more precarious than going up so take care when coming down.  The top has excellent views in all directions.  I was here early in the morning and the lighting seemed to work out very well.  Inside the Chedi there are several gold leaf Buddhas and a shaft. I could not find any information on the shaft.  It is worthwhile to climb the stairs and get an overview of the entire grounds.

I was surprised to see this large reclining Buddha at Wat Yai Chaimongkhon. It is 7 meters long and was constructed during the period of King Naresuan’s reign from 1590 to 1605. The Buddha was restored in 1965. Many tourist and locals come to visit just for the Reclining Buddha. What seems to be a tradition is to press gold leaf or coins on the exposed feet of the Buddha.

There is a 20 Baht fee to enter. Well worth it!

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