Phra Pathom Chedi

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Phra Pathom Chedi (Thai: พระปฐมเจดีย์) is the tallest stupa in the world with the height of 127 metres (417 ft). It is located in the town of Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.

The name Phra Pathom Chedi means Holy chedi (stupa) of the beginning. The stupa at the location is first mentioned in Buddhist scriptures of the year 675, however archaeological findings date back to the 4th century. In the 11th century it was overbuilt with a Khmer (Ancient Cambodia) style prang, which was later overgrown by the jungle. The ruin was visited several times by the later King Mongkut during his time as a monk, and after his coronation he ordered the building of a new and more magnificent chedi at the site. After 17 years of construction it was finished in 1870, and the population of nearby Nakhon Chai Si was ordered to move to the newly created town around the chedi.

Wat Bang Phra

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Wat Bang Phra (Thai: วัดบางพระ) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Nakhon Chai Si district, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand, about 50 km west of Bangkok.

Wat Bang Phra translates into English as the "Temple of the Little Buddha".

There is no existing record of when this temple was founded, however the architecture of its assembly hall indicates the late Ayutthaya period, while the murals inside the sermon hall demonstrate the craftsmanship during the reigns of Kings Rama III and Rama IV. Former abbot Phra Udom Prachanart, more commonly known as Luang Por Phern, was a famous meditation monk well known for his potent incantations and was also well rounded in the knowledge of the body of canons binding the Buddhist priesthood (Tripitaka). He built many of the structures on the premises from public donations during his time. The well renovated assembly and sermon halls, as well as the local museum where many abandoned artefacts have been put on display, are of interest.


The temple is also known for the daily tattoos or Sak Yants given by the monks that live there, and especially for the tattoo festival held on the temple grounds once a year during March. There are many articles found on the internet regarding the tattoo festival but very little information found regarding the day to day operations of the temple as described below.
The process of receiving a tattoo from the monks at Wat Bang Phra outside of the events surrounding the tattoo festival are as follows:

Before the tattoo
Tattoo Selections on the temple wallA person wanting a tattoo will arrive at the temple around 8:00 AM. Before entering the temple, the person will purchase flowers and cigarettes as an offering to Buddha and to support the Wat. These offerings are then recycled back into the place where purchased and the money used for up-keep for the Wat. Upon removing your shoes and entering the Wat, a person will sit down in line. The offerings are kept in the center of the room. The tattoos are done in groups of about 20 people. When the previous group is complete, the monk blesses the next batch of offerobserved to be between 18 and 30.

Tattoo options
Monk tattooing at Wat Bang PhraUpon entering the Wat, one of the first things a person sees on the wall is a very large banner of tattoos available. Unless there is a specific choice requested, the monk will begin with a simple tattoo at the top of the back.

Daily Tattooing
Right before reaching the monk, the people next in line to the one being tattooed will assist the monk with holding the one receiving the tattoo still. The monk uses a single long thin needle about 18 inches in length and about four millimeters in width. The tip of the spike is split into two (like a split cane), so that each stab of the spike produces two dots of ink in the skin. There are about 8 of these needles in a pot of a type of cleaning solution. Sometimes the monk will sharpen the needle with fine grade sandpaper before beginning. The monk will then select from several different rubber templates with the design of choice. He will apply the template to ink and then press it on to the receipients back to transfer the design. When ready to begin, he will dip the tip of the needle into a mix of oil, probably palm oil, Chinese charcoal ink, and possibly snake venom. He then begins to trace the pattern. The typical tattoo takes about 3,000 strikes to complete. The monk dips the needle into the ink about every 30 seconds. When complete, he blesses the tattoo and blows a sacred Kata (Ghata) on it to infuse it with power. For men, the monk uses the charcoal ink. For women he uses a transparent ink and will use a glove in order to not touch the female body.

Health
The sanitation of the needle and ink are unknown. Receiving a tattoo at the Wat Bang Phra temple potentially exposes a person to HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C. There are approximately 580,000 people living with AIDS in Thailand. However, it is important to note that according to the "UNAIDS 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic" there are no recorded cases of contracting HIV or AIDS from a tattoo needle due to the absence of a reservoir inside the needle containing enough blood to deliver the virus into the body to pass infection.

Tiger Temple

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Credit to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tourists_tiger_temple.jpg

The Theravada Buddhist temple is located in the Saiyok district of Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, not far from the border with Myanmar, some 38 km north-west of Kanchanaburi along the 323 highway. It was founded in 1994 as a forest temple and sanctuary for numerous wild animals. In 1995 it received the Golden Jubilee Buddha Image, made of 80 kilograms of gold.

According to the abbot and others associated with the temple, in 1999, the temple received the first tiger cub, it had been found by villagers and died soon after. The story goes that several tiger cubs were later given to the temple over time, typically when the mothers had been killed by poachers, others who wanted to get rid of their tiger "pets" or those were under pressure to do so as laws and policies surrounding the keeping of protected species became more strict. As of 2007, over 21 cubs have been born at the temple and the total number of tigers is about 12 adult tigers and 4 cubs. As of late December 2009, the total number of tigers living at the temple has risen to almost 50.

The subspecies of these tigers is unknown as none of them have been DNA tested, but it is thought that they are Indochinese Tigers, except Mek (a Bengal Tiger). There is also a possibility that there may be some of the newly discovered Malayan Tigers and it is likely that many are cross breeds or hybrids.
They spend most of the time in cages, being fed with cooked chicken, beef and dry cat food. The meat is boiled to avoid giving the tigers a taste for blood [1] and also to kill the bird flu that may be present in raw fowl. According to the temple website the dry cat food replaces nutrients, such as taurine, that are lost when the meat is cooked.[2]
The tigers are washed and handled by Thai monks, international volunteers and local staff. Once a day they are walked on leashes to a nearby quarry. Originally they would roam around freely in this area but now, with the increase in visitors and the amount of tigers who sit in the canyon, they are chained for safety reasons. The staff closely guide visitors as they greet, sit with, and pet the cats. The staff keep the tigers under control and the abbot will intervene if the tiger gets agitated. Nervous tourists may also observe this from about 10 metres away. The temple claims the entry fee is for feeding and upkeep, and to fund the building of a larger tiger sanctuary which would allow the animals to live in an almost natural environment all day long. According to temple staff, it costs about 100 USD per tiger per day for their feeding and other care.
The Tiger Temple practices a different conservation philosophy than in the west. The temple opens daily for visitors at about 12pm, and the tigers are walked back to their enclosures at around 4pm. Due to the pressing need for income, the temple now charges 500 Baht admission. Day trips are also available from Bangkok. The temple now receives 300 to 600 visitors a day. There are donations boxes in various locations around the temple for those who wish to support the sanctuary. It is also possible for day visitors to join the volunteers in the tigers morning exercise programme although the cost for this is significantly more - 4500 Baht (fee correct as of January 2010).

Wat Kham Chanot

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Wat Kham Chanot (Thai: วัดคำชะโนด) is a buddhist temple near Ban Kham Chanot, Amphoe Ban Dung, Udon Thani Province in Northeastern Thailand. It is located in the Wang Nakhin area at a lake where the Nāga, a mythical large snake, is supposed to be living.

Nāga worsphip is one of the main issue in this small monastery. About ten monks live here permanently. It is believed that the snake has a hideaway on the island. It is connected to the other Wat premises by a bridge. The origins of the wat are located on the island.
A small zoo with turtles has been added to the monastery. Opposite of the main temple building, a permanent (rural) market for visitors is provided.

Wat Khung Taphao

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Wat Khung Taphao ( listen (help·info)) (Thai: วัดคุ้งตะเภา, literally Temple of the bend of sailing ship watercourse) is a Buddhist temple (wat) located in Ban Khung Taphao, Mueang Uttaradit District of Uttaradit Province in Northern Thailand.
Wat Khung Taphao was established in the era of the Thonburi Kingdom (1768–1782), and is still an important active temple in the Ban Khung Taphao region.

Wat Khung Taphao is an ancient temple, but there is no archaeological evidence as to when it was built. There have been monasteries here since the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767), and Buddhists arrived sometime in the late 1700s.
Wat Khung Taphao has a hall for religious observances. Local villagers were taught by the monks at the monastery until the government began supplying teachers[when?].
When the river floods, it rises over the river banks and scours under the monastery foundations. Khung Taphao villagers decided to establish a new monastery farther away from the river[when?]. After the new monastery was built, the river changed its course and moved away from the monastery; this new land became monastery property.

When government representatives came to record the names of the villages and landmarks in the area, the names for the village and temple were recorded incorrectly. The village name was changed from its original, "Ban Khung Sam Phao" (Thai: บ้านคุ้งสำเภา) to "Ban Khung Taphao", and the temple became "Wat Khung Taphao". These new names have remained the official ones to the present day.

Wat Phumin

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The city of Nan's most famous wat is renowned for its cruciform ubosoth which was constructed in 1596 and restored during the reign of Chao Ananta Vora Ritthi Det (1867-1875).

It is the only temple which was built as if it were on the back of two immense snakes (or Nagas). Each of the four entrances is preceded by a small corridor topped by a finely decorated point shaped structure (underlining the royal origin of the temple) and is equipped with smoothly carved doors; with Chinese demon guards in the East, flowers in the North and forest life motives in the Lanna style in the West and South.

The wat's interior is impressive. It is also a good example of Thai Lue architecture. The structure of the roof is supported by twelve teak pillars decorated with gold on black and red lacquer and elephants motives. The ceiling is also finely decorated. The flowered altar resting in the center of the bôt supports four Buddhas of the Sukhothai style in the pose of Bhūmisparsa mudrā ("Buddha Invoking Mother-Earth", "Bhumi to be His Witness" or "Buddha subduing Māra" - the hand pointed down to the earth with the fingers touching the ground), facing the four directions. The shape of the ears and nose shows a Lao influence. Next to the altar one finds a splendid thammdat (a dhamma seat used by teaching monks).

Murals at Wat Phumin showing the city and European troops

Murals at Wat Phumin (a woman and a child), NanWell preserved murals of great value illustrating the Khattana Kumara Jataka on the Northern wall and the Nimi Jatakas on the Western wall as well as scenes of the local life of the time when they were painted by Thai Lue artists during the restoration of the temple at the end of the 19th century. Europeans can even be noticed: a reference to the arrival of the French to whom the East of the Nan valley area was yielded in 1893. The style is rather distinctive and quite removed from the traditional style of temple paintings in Thailand. They somewhat resemble the style of the murals of Wat Phra Singh in Chiangmai and are very much like the murals of Wat Nong Bua in Amphoe Tha Wang Pha, just north of the city of Nan. The setting of the murals at Wat Phumin however, is that of the culture and everyday life of the Thai Lue people. The two most famous scenes are of greater dimensions than the majority of the other paintings: a man whispering to the ear of a woman (on the Southern side of the Western door) and the portrait painted on the side of the Southern door, which could be king Chao Ananta Vora Ritthi Det. The large paintings on each side of the main entrance show a Chinese influence which can be explained by the origins of the Thai Lue people.

Wat Phra That Lampang Luang

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Wat Pra That Lampang Luang Thai: วัดพระธาตุลำปางหลวง is a Buddhist temple in Lampang in Lampang Province, Thailand.

The first element, prathat, means Buddha relic (from phra meaning monk and that meaning essence). The second element, Lampang, is the name of a location in Thailand. the third element, luang, means great. All together, a loose translation is Temple of Lampang's Great Buddha Relic.

The temple is said to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Such relics are typically bones and ashes believed to be gathered after the Buddha's cremation. The relic is installed in the main chedi of the temple.

There are several bullet holes on the railing of the temple, reputed to be fired by legendary folk hero Nan Thipchang, and ancestors of the House of Chao Ched Ton (Seven Princes) which ruled Lanna as a Siamese Vassal during the Thonburi and Early-Mid Ratanokosin eras.

Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong

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Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong (Thai: วัดพระธาตุดอยจอมทอง) (also known as Wat Phra That Doi Jom Thong) is located in Nakhon Chiang Rai, Amphoe Mueang, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

Doi Chom Thong has undoubtedly been a sacred site for a very long time. The site was surely reverenced as the home of local spirits before Buddhism arrived in the area. As in many Thai wats Spirit Houses coexist happily with the newer Buddhist shrines. Elephants are part of the lore of Doi Chom Thong. Paw Kuhn Meng Rai was said to have been following an elephant that had wandered off when he first came upon Doi Chom Thong, a solitary hill on the banks of the River Kok.
There is a “Chedi” or “Golden Pagoda of Stupa” located in the center of the temple. The Chedi is the focal point of the temple. The Chedi was constructed with a mixture of Bhu-kam (ancient Burma) and Lanna style. It is around 14 meters high, the lotus-petal base, the body, the bell, the top part of the Chedi were decorated with a gold foil.
According to the Yonok Chronicle, the That or Chedi was originally built in the year 940 during the reign of Phraya Ruen Kaew, Prince of Chiang Rai, to house the Lord Buddha's relics.
Those relics were originally acquired by Prince Pangkaraj of Yonok Nakpan, who divided them into three parts for the three temples of Wat Phra That Doi Tung, Wat Phra That Chomkitti, and Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong, respectively.
Later, in 1260, King Mengrai was said to have visited Doi Chom Thong where he viewed the surrounding area and found it suitable for the establishment of a city. He then ordered the beginning of the construction of the city of Chiang Rai and had Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong restored.
In 1992 (B.E. 2535) the City Pillar was moved from Wat Klang Wiang to Doi Chom Thong where it is known as Sadu Meuang (TH: สะดือเมือง), the Navel or Omphalos of the City.

Wat Chedi Luang

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Wat Chedi Luang (Thai: วัดเจดีย์หลวง, lit. temple of the big stupa) is a Buddhist temple in the historic center of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The current temple grounds were originally made up of three temples — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin.

The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. Probably due to stability problems it took until mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1468, the Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and shortly thereafter, in 1551, the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang.

In the early 1990s the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government. However the result is somewhat controversial, as some claim the new elements are in Central Thai style, not Lanna style. For the 600th anniversary of the chedi in 1995, a copy of the Emerald Buddha made from black jade was placed in the reconstructed eastern niche. The icon is named official Phra Phut Chaloem Sirirat, but is commonly known as Phra Yok.


Also on the temple grounds is the city pillar (Lak Mueang) of Chiang Mai, named Sao Inthakin. It was moved to this location in 1800 by King Chao Kawila; it was originally located in Wat Sadeu Muang. He also planted three dipterocarp tree there, which are supposed to assist the city pillar to protect the town.
In a viharn near the entrance to the temple is the Buddha statue named Phra Chao Attarot (Eighteen-cubit buddha), which was cast in the late 14th century. On the other side of the chedi is another pavilion housing a reclining buddha statue.