Tuesday 20 January 2024
Wat Pan Tao

Wat Pan Tao (sometimes spelled Wat Phan Tao) is a very old temple in the old city of Chiang Mai, on Prapokkloa Road next door to the more famous Wat Chedi Luang. It was founded in the 14th century and originally used as living quarters for the monks of Wat Chedi Luang. The name Wat Pan Tao is said to translate to “temple of 1000 kilns” referring to the ovens that were here for casting Buddha images long ago.

Later, from 1846 to 1854 the temple was used as a royal palace (ho kham) by Chao Mahawong of the Chao Chet Ton Dynasty. Chao Mahawong ruled Chiang Mai and the former Lanna Kingdom after it became part of the Siamese Chakri Dynasty of Bangkok in 1775 after the Burmese were expelled from Siam and Siam annexed the former Lanna kingdom (northern Thailand). In 1876 the royal residence was demolished and new temple buildings were constructed. The teak from the old palace building was used to construct the current viharn.

A plaque near the entrance of Wat Pan Tao states that the viharn (prayer or worship hall) is “the most beautiful teak viharn in Chiang Mai”. However, that would not apply to its plain exterior, without ornamentation, and the teak of rough appearance without the shining black lacquer that is usually applied to teak temples.

There is a narrow pedestrian entrance on Prapokkloa Road and much of the front wall is red, the same color as the top of the chedi before the chedi was clad in all gold in about 2019. The pedestrian entrance is close to the viharn making it challenging to get a full photo of the front of the viharn.

Stepping inside the entrance, I got a photo of one of the naga dragon-like creatures guarding the entrance of the viharn. My camera lens is not wide enough to get the whole front in the short space between the wall and the viharn. The two naga along the stairs appear to still be under construction with the unfinished brick visible behind the naga.

Above the entrance is a beautifully decorated peacock. Peacocks are often depicted in Thailand as part of a tribute to royalty. In Buddhism, the peacock symbolizes wisdom and enlightenment. The peacock motif on temples and other structures symbolizes power, beauty, and royalty. And Wat Pan Tao was once a royal residence.

Inside the viharn is dark, something comon to most viharns. Darkness encourages pious worship and reverence. The thick teak columns have a pleasing, natural appearance, having been left without adornment in keeping with the rest of the building. The altar has a single large Buddha image, and the wall behind the Buddha is largely undecorated, enhancing focus on the Buddha image.

The side of the viharn is teak, but it could use an up lift and varnish. The tiled roof is three-tiered and split into two sections as is common for Lanna-styled viharns.

The chedi has undergone a transformation since 2018 with the elegant pewter color with the red bell at the top now completely covered in shiny gold cladding. The structure’s shape is the same, octagonal layers rising like a pyramid to a bell topped with a finial.

Next: Prapokkloa Temples 6 – Wat Chedi Luang