History
Wat Chana Songkram is one of the important royal temples, it was built back in the Ayutthaya era and was majorly renovated by Somdej Phrabovornrajjao Maha Surasinghanat, a younger brother of King Rama the 1st, the founder of Chakri dynasty and Bangkok around 235 years ago. He was appointed as the 2nd King when his brother took over the throne.
The title of the temple Chana Songkram means winning the war, considered a good name to commemorate the Siam-Burma war during that period. It was said that the amulet shirt from the 2nd King himself was kept inside the main Buddha image of the temple.
The construction and design of this temple are unique and different from a royal palace style, locally we called this the art Wang Na ( front palace) style. For those who are interested in Thai art, you may also observe this at the National Museum which was a former palace of the second king, and at Wat Mahatat. There is a special room dedicated to being a storage place for the second king’s descendants remaining, this room has been closed and concealed from outsiders in the past few decades. During my latest visit, I found that the room is now open to the public. This is one of the interesting points to visit to see how the royal house keeps their ancestors remaining. Most of the royal family members remaining are kept in the royal palace and closed to the public. This is one of a kind and worth visiting if you stay around the Khao San area.
Architectural
Wat Chana Songkhram’s walls are a combination of ancient and modern architecture. Patterns and symbols Temple walls frequently feature Buddhist patterns and symbols, such as lotus patterns, liao patterns, and plain patterns. Symbols such as balloons, Buddha’s foot organ, and the compass are important and have religious meaning. Moreover, the walls of Wat Chana Songkhram often feature bright colors to create a bright and lively place. Colors that often appear on walls include gold, green, red, and white, which are colors that symbolize purity and good fortune. Furthermore, Wat Chana Songkhram frequently uses high-quality and durable materials such as marble, glazed tiles, steel, and gray gold to cope well with weather and environmental conditions.
One of the stories that appear on the walls of Wat Chana Songkhram is the story of the Buddha image in the posture of Mara. The temple records the story of the Buddha, and the image of the Buddha in Mara’s posture holds significant importance. In the past, a monk discovered a Buddha image in the posture of Mara in a forest. The Buddha image had a beautiful appearance, and it is unique. As a result, the monks brought the Buddha image to the temple and built a Buddha hall to protect it from the weather. This story reflects the religious beliefs of the temple people.
The example of architecture in Wat Chana Songkhram
The story of walls
Queen Sirimahamaya (the Buddha’s mother) had a dream in which a white elephant entered her womb, symbolizing the conception of Gautama Buddha, also known as Prince Siddhartha.
The Royal Wedding Ceremony of King Suddhodana and Queen Sirimahamaya
- Being a human
- Being male
- Having faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom
- Meeting a Buddha
- Becoming an ascetic
- Possessing knowledge to the extent of manifesting supernatural powers
- Accomplishing significant good deeds
- Having a strong aspiration to attain enlightenment as a Buddha.
As mentioned earlier, the Bodhisattva has done good deeds and made aspirations across many lifetimes, a concept well-known in the stories of the 550 past lives of the Buddha. In the final lifetimes, the Bodhisattva must meet specific qualifications to prepare for his ascent to heaven, before descending to attain enlightenment. These qualifications are as follows:
The mural depicts stories from the Buddha’s era, when he was spreading the Dharma. Inside the ordination hall, the walls also feature paintings of stories from the life of the Buddha during his final incarnation before attaining enlightenment. There is also a pavilion with a replica of the Buddha’s footprint.
3D model and pictures
