Wat Mahathat Worawihan Phetchaburi

Information and Directions:

Wat Mahathat Worawihan in Petchaburi is a very important Thai temple, it is also very beautiful having a mixture of architectural styles including Khmer and Ayutthaya. The centre piece(located at the back of the Wat) is a five piece Prang, Phra Prang Ha Yod, with a tall central column and four surrounding smaller towers.

The original Prang is long gone and the more modern feature is in my opinion rather stark lacking features or any warmth of feeling for its historical past. It is also difficult to decide which older style the modern builders have copied in their restoration work. The surrounding cloister like structure houses several hundred Buddha images set behind glass and dedicated to the various benefactors who have helped restore the Prang.

Far more interesting in my opinion are the wihans and bot located at the front of the compound.

Here you will find some superb wall murals, some of which are a few hundred years old, a varied collection of Buddha icons some from the Ayutthaya period and very interesting roof sculptures at the gable ends. Where instead of the traditional chofah’s there are angels and gods depicted.

Another unusual feature is the art work on the front of the bot that depicts two crocodiles facing each other as if they are about to attack each other. While inside the bot aside from the usual Buddha icons I found a beautifully crafted Hong(mythical bird) made from reeds and colourfully decorated.

Wat Mahathat Worawihan has been a Royal temple, as its name indicates, since in 1954, when the current King of Thailand donated a Buddha relic that is entombed in the Prang.

Located in the centre of Phetchaburi the temple is very easy to locate since the Prang is visible from some distance. You can park inside the temple compound, at the front, but space is limited and the turn from the narrow Thanon Band-It leads you through an even narrower entrance. You might want to approach on foot or by local transport from one of the parking areas outside the inner city.

There were no fees charged when I visited midweek and there were few other visitors. Weekends of course would be a different prospect since the temple is very popular with Thais.

GPS Co-ordinates: GPS: 13.105741 and 99.946997

Opinion:

Certainly worth visiting, not so much for the Prang, which is nonetheless spectacular, but more for the superb examples of Thai temple art and sculpture. A photographers dream. Plan to spend at least two hours on your visit. Incidentally there are some thirty temples in the town and several others are worth visiting.

Generally speaking Phetchaburi gets few foreign visitors even though it is close to Hua Hin and Cha-Am. Cheap accommodation is plentiful and it is only about 1.5 hours drive from Bangkok. Perfect for a weekend away from the big city.

Last Visited: October 2010

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