Chiangrai - Wat Phra Kaew - Phra Thum Rajanuwat

Wat Phra Kaew is a third-common-class royal temple situated in the area of 10,640 square metres on Trairat road, Wiang sub-district, Muang Chiang Rai in Chiang Rai City, Thailand. The King of Thailand upgraded the temple to the royal temple on May 31, 1978. The temple gains historical importance as the place where the Emerald Buddha was found. It is also one of the main centres of Buddhist education and the Sangha’s administration in northern Thailand.

Wat Phra Kaew is famous throughout Thailand as the original home of the translucent green Buddha which graces the Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok’s Grand Palace. It was discovered in 1434 when a bolt of lighting hit an old Chedi. In the occasion of HRH Princess Mother at her 90 years in 1990, Phra Yok Chiangrai, made of jade brought from Canada, a replica of that image was created to presides over at Hor Phra Yok, which was opened by HRH Princess Kalayaniwattana on November 26, 1998.

Wat Phra Kaew is also famous as the one of the royally endowed temple in this province.  Like many temples throughout Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew is the beneficiary of many donations of important religious art works from members of its parish making merit. Arguably being the most important temple in the province, this Wat Phra Kaew has received more than its share over many centuries.

Wat Phra Kaew is one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist temples in Chiang Rai. It is unclear when the temple was founded. The temple was originally called Wat Pa Yeah or Wat Pa Yah - meaning the Temple in the Golden Bamboo Forest), as it was surrounded by a dense yellow bamboo grove locally known as Yeah or Yah.

In 1434 the temple’s octagonal Chedi (Pagoda) was struck by lightning and it fell apart to reveal a Buddha covered with stucco inside. The Buddha was then placed in the abbot's residence, who later noticed that stucco on the nose had flaked off, revealing a green figure inside. The abbot removed all the stucco and found a Buddha image made of a green semi-precious stone, which became known as Phra Kaew Morakot or the Emerald Buddha. "Emerald" here simply means "green coloured" in Thai. The temple has been thus called Wat Phra Kaew after this holy Buddha image ever since.

Source - Wiki

Phra Jao Lan Thong

The new Phra Kaew Marakot image

Museum

Phra Thum Rajanuwat
Chief monk Wat Phra Kaew and
Chief monk of North Province

Sep 2018