Nan is one of the lesser known provinces of Thailand and it is placed in the northern part of Thailand in a valley surrounded by mountains. Due to its rough and difficult terrain, Nan was a small kingdom until the 20th century. The town of Nan has some beautiful temples but the most illustrious is the cruciform temple called Wat Phumin.
According to experts, Wat Phumin was constructed in 1596 and it was restored to its previous glory during the reign of King Chao Ananta Vora Ritthi Det, who ruled from 1867 to 1874. The temple is unique and spectacular in appearance.
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Wat Phumin appears as if it was built on the backs of two huge cobras. The temple, due to its cruciform shape, has four entrances. Just before each entrance, there is a corridor and the corridor is ornately decorated with carved doors. The door to the east has Chinese demon guards, the one on the north has flowers, while the doors on the south and west have Lanna-style decorations depicting the forest life.
Even the interior of the temple is ornately done. In fact, the interiors are considered to be a fine example of Thai Lue architecture. The roof is supported by 12 pillar made up of teak. The pillars are decorated with elephant motifs and gold on a base of black and red lacquer. The ceiling of the temple is a masterpiece of adornment and you will be left in awe staring at it.
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Right in the town of the bot is a flowered altar on which there are 4 Buddha images in Sukhothai style. Each Buddha image face the four directions and they have their hand pointing towards the earth and the fingers touching the ground, what is known as the excellent Buddha-Invoking-Mother-Earth-to-be-His-Witness style. Next to the altar is a seat meant for use by monks who are teachers.
The walls of the temple have murals which are beautiful and colorful. The northern wall of the temple has scenes from Khattana Kumara Jataka while the western wall has scenes from the Nimi Jataka as well as those from the local life of that time. On the western door, there is a painting of a man whispering into a woman's ear, while the southern door has a portrait of a man, which is considered to be that of King Chao Ananta Vora Ritthi Det.
Wat Phumin of Thailand
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