| WAT DAWADUNG 1 (วัดดาวดึงส์) |
Wat Dawadung or "The Monastery of the Heaven of Indra" was located on the city
island in the Historical Park in Pratu Chai sub-district. The monastery was situated on the
present premises of the Chao Sam Phraya Museum, North of Rojana Rd. The name of
the temple is derived from the Traiphum (1).
There are no visual traces of the monastery left at ground level. Wat Phra Ram was on its
north and Wat Saphan Nak on its east. Its historical background and period of
construction are unknown.
A mid-19th century map shows Wat Pa Nai on the west bank of Khlong Pratu Thep Mi
and south of the canal connecting the latter with Khlong Chakrai Noi. This does not
match with Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926 which situates Wat
Dawadung northeast of Wat Pa Nai and north of the canal connecting Khlong Chakrai
Noi and Khlong Pratu Thep Mi; south of old Talaeng Kaeng road.
Footnotes:
(1) The Traiphum or the "Three Worlds" consists of the Immaterial World, the Fine
Material World and the Sensuous World. The latter consists of eleven realms, dominated
by the five senses. Four realms are states of deprivation (which include the animal and
hell realms - the underworld), one is the world we presently live in (human beings) and
six are happy destinations - the dewa heavens. Dawadungsa is the second tier of the
dewa heavens, reckoned from the earth. Dawadungsa was located above the peak of
Mount Meru (Phra Sumeru) the centre of the universe. In the Dawadungsa Heaven is the
palace of Indra (Wechaiyanta) where Indra resides and where the Kalpa trees flourish
(Th: Kamaphruk), whose branches furnish everything that the angels can desire. [1]
References:
[1] The Wheel of the Law - Henry Alabaster (1871) - page 82, 171.
island in the Historical Park in Pratu Chai sub-district. The monastery was situated on the
present premises of the Chao Sam Phraya Museum, North of Rojana Rd. The name of
the temple is derived from the Traiphum (1).
There are no visual traces of the monastery left at ground level. Wat Phra Ram was on its
north and Wat Saphan Nak on its east. Its historical background and period of
construction are unknown.
A mid-19th century map shows Wat Pa Nai on the west bank of Khlong Pratu Thep Mi
and south of the canal connecting the latter with Khlong Chakrai Noi. This does not
match with Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926 which situates Wat
Dawadung northeast of Wat Pa Nai and north of the canal connecting Khlong Chakrai
Noi and Khlong Pratu Thep Mi; south of old Talaeng Kaeng road.
Footnotes:
(1) The Traiphum or the "Three Worlds" consists of the Immaterial World, the Fine
Material World and the Sensuous World. The latter consists of eleven realms, dominated
by the five senses. Four realms are states of deprivation (which include the animal and
hell realms - the underworld), one is the world we presently live in (human beings) and
six are happy destinations - the dewa heavens. Dawadungsa is the second tier of the
dewa heavens, reckoned from the earth. Dawadungsa was located above the peak of
Mount Meru (Phra Sumeru) the centre of the universe. In the Dawadungsa Heaven is the
palace of Indra (Wechaiyanta) where Indra resides and where the Kalpa trees flourish
(Th: Kamaphruk), whose branches furnish everything that the angels can desire. [1]
References:
[1] The Wheel of the Law - Henry Alabaster (1871) - page 82, 171.
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| Text & maps by Tricky Vandenberg - January 2009 Reviewed February 2011 |
| (Extract of a begin-20th century map) |
| (Extract of a mid-19th century map) |