Phra Pratonchedi

Keywords :

Site common name	Wat Phra Pratonchedi Woraviharn
Type of artwork	Architecture
Sub district	Phra Prathon
District	Mueang Nakhon Pathom
Province	Nakhon Pathom
Region	Central
Country	Thailand
Geographic Coordinates Decimal degree	Lat : 13.815016 Long : 100.096988
Geographic Coordinates UTM	Zone : 47 P Hemisphere : N E : 618565.28 N : 1527539.21
Place of artwork	At the centre of the temple

History of production	The history of Phra Pratonchedi is mentioned in the tell-tale mythology. According to its architectural style, its brick platform shares the same order as other Dvaravati stupas, as well as Indian stupas which were made in the 7^th century AD to 9^th century AD. Although a prang which stands on the pedestal is considered as Ayutthaya work, which can also be seen in Ayutthaya Tripitaka illustration, its character is different from Ayutthaya prang-typed stupa, for instance, octagonal pedestal and non-tiered finial. Therefore, the current prang should be new made or renovated by local people.
Conservation	Phra Pratonchedi was listed and declared an ancient monument in the Government Gazette, no.57 section 40 on the 22th October 1940.
Art	Phra Pratonchedi is a brick-and-stucco stupa, whose platform should be built in Dvaravati period. The lower-tiered platform is in square plan and has staircases in four directions. The middle-tiered platform is in edge-and-side-increased square plan, which has pilasters at intervals and a wire called “Buavalai”. The upper platform might be a chamber or an anda, which had niches attached around the stupa. A prang-typed stupa, which might be made in Ayudhya period and was renovated later in Rattanakosin eriod, stands on a pyramidal pedestals in octagonal plan, while the chamber has multiple edges and cylindric finial.
Key academic information	Phra Pratonchedi is situated at the centre of the ancient Nakhon Pathom, where the scholars believe that the city might be the centre of Dvaravati Kingdom. Therefore, this stupa is the principal stupa of the state, which would pass its symbolic conception to Sukhothai and Ayudhya. Moreover, its artistic trace still remained as much as it can be an important example of Dvaravati Art. Although the ancient Nakhon Pathom had fallen since centuries ago, Phra Pratonchedi would never be abandoned from people’s memory. It still appeared along with Phra Pathomchedi as sacred places of the central region in Ayutthaya Tripitaka illustration.
Period	Historical Period
Age	7th – 11th century AD
Religion	Buddhism
Religion and belief	Buddhism
Legend	The history of Phra Pratonchedi is mentioned in the Mythology of Phra Pathomchedi, both in Praya Maha Arthanikara version and Nai Thong version. These versions share the same information that this area was once a Brahman village called “Baan Donabrahmana”. The name came from a coconut shell (Dona), which was used to spoon the Buddha relics, that was stored inside a stone house in 590 AD. Later, King Sri Sidhijayabrahmadeva built a magnificent city called Nakhon Chaisri. One day, Lanka king wanted to have that coconut shell kept in his state. Therefore, he sent a request to King Sri Sidhijayabrahmadeva, who would submit with one condition that he would receive the Buddha relics in return. However, when the king received the buddha relics, the brahmanas objected his decision to send Lanka King the coconut shell. He was furious, he thus rode to another region and built a new city for install the relics, which might be in Phra Pathomchedi. Afterwards, he marched his army to Nakhon Chaisri, took the coconut shell and sent to Lanka King. Later, Lava King – Kakavarnadish, built a stupa cover the stone house in 656 AD, which once was a home of the coconut shell, and called Phra Pratonchedi.

Type of License	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
Rights	Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation	2015-10-11
Record creator	Rungroj Thamrungraeng
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