Phra Pathom Stupa

THAILAND, Nakhon Pathom

Phra Pathom means the First Sacred. The stupa is located approximately 58 km from Bangkok. It is the oldest, largest, and most important stupa in Thailand. It is believed that it was built at the place where Buddhism first came to Thailand and may have been built as early as the 2nd century BCE. In 1853 King Rama IV (reigned 1851–1868) constructed another large stupa as a protective cover for the then 39 m high stupa. In addition, the king built other stupas, Buddha halls, a colonnade, lecture hall, Chinese style pavilions, and many bell towers. King Rama V (reigned 1868–1910) undertook renovations to the stupa near the end of his reign; however, the work of refinishing the entire stupa in glazed tiles was only completed by the time of King Rama VI (reigned 1910–1925).
The stupa is approximately 120 m high and contains the Buddha’s relics. It sits on a huge two-layer base platform, with a diameter of 57 m. The body of the stupa is golden brown in color and is shaped like a bell. The spire consists of stacked rings and reaches 40 m in height. There is a colonnade encircling the base of the stupa. The colonnade is surrounded by 24 bell towers and is interrupted by Buddha halls at the four cardinal points. Each hall contains a Buddha statue in a different posture. The hall on the east side is elaborately decorated and majestic. It contains a golden statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, which stands before a mural of a Bodhi tree. There are also pictures of naga kings, hermits, birds, and animals. Inside this hall there is an altar, at which the Thai king pays homage during offering ceremonies and inspection tours of his country.