| WAT SALA PUN |
Wat Sala Pun or the “Monastery of the Pavilion of Lime” is an active monastery
located off the City Island in the northwestern area at Tambon Tha Wasukri. It is
situated on the north bank of Khlong Muang, the old Lopburi River in earlier times. Wat
Phanom Yong and Wat Phrom Niwat lie in its vicinity.
In situ are the classic monastic buildings. The ordination hall and chedi (Th: ubosot)
stands in a northwest-southeast alignment. The structures are surrounded by a wall. The
ubosot in Late Ayutthaya style had a three-tiered roof and two porches. The elevated
front porch has three entries; two small ones and in the middle a large one. The rear
porch has two entries. In between the doors stands a chapel with rather west-European
features. The roof above the porches is supported by two columns. The hall has three
rectangular windows on the longest sides. Behind the hall stands a bell-shaped chedi
surrounded by an low inner wall.
Within the wall surrounding the ubosot and chedi stands a restored library building (Ho
Trai) in which the Buddhist scriptures were kept with well preserved stucco in a flower
pattern on its pediment.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction are unknown. The site is
indicated on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926.
The temple housed in earlier years a primary school. It was in this school that Pridi
Banomyong spent his early school period. [1]
Wat Sala Pun is renowned for its beautifully hand carved wooden Tripitaka cabinet in
which were kept the sacred Buddhist manuscripts, mostly large libretto books made of a
type of thick mulberry paper depicting elaborate scenes from the Jatakas, story of Phra
Malai , life of the Buddha, etc. These cabinets were either black lacquer with mother-of-
pearl inlay, or carved and painted with gold.
The temple is a second class royal temple of the Maha Nikaya sect and ranked
"voraviharn" (4th grade) following a ranking system for royal temples which was initiated
in 1913. [2]
References:
[1] Concise autobiography of Nai Pridi Banomyong (1983).
[2] www.dhammathai.org/watthai/listroyalwat1.php retrieved 14 December 2009.
located off the City Island in the northwestern area at Tambon Tha Wasukri. It is
situated on the north bank of Khlong Muang, the old Lopburi River in earlier times. Wat
Phanom Yong and Wat Phrom Niwat lie in its vicinity.
In situ are the classic monastic buildings. The ordination hall and chedi (Th: ubosot)
stands in a northwest-southeast alignment. The structures are surrounded by a wall. The
ubosot in Late Ayutthaya style had a three-tiered roof and two porches. The elevated
front porch has three entries; two small ones and in the middle a large one. The rear
porch has two entries. In between the doors stands a chapel with rather west-European
features. The roof above the porches is supported by two columns. The hall has three
rectangular windows on the longest sides. Behind the hall stands a bell-shaped chedi
surrounded by an low inner wall.
Within the wall surrounding the ubosot and chedi stands a restored library building (Ho
Trai) in which the Buddhist scriptures were kept with well preserved stucco in a flower
pattern on its pediment.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction are unknown. The site is
indicated on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926.
The temple housed in earlier years a primary school. It was in this school that Pridi
Banomyong spent his early school period. [1]
Wat Sala Pun is renowned for its beautifully hand carved wooden Tripitaka cabinet in
which were kept the sacred Buddhist manuscripts, mostly large libretto books made of a
type of thick mulberry paper depicting elaborate scenes from the Jatakas, story of Phra
Malai , life of the Buddha, etc. These cabinets were either black lacquer with mother-of-
pearl inlay, or carved and painted with gold.
The temple is a second class royal temple of the Maha Nikaya sect and ranked
"voraviharn" (4th grade) following a ranking system for royal temples which was initiated
in 1913. [2]
References:
[1] Concise autobiography of Nai Pridi Banomyong (1983).
[2] www.dhammathai.org/watthai/listroyalwat1.php retrieved 14 December 2009.
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| Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - December 2009 |
| (Ubosot - view from the northeast) |
| (Ubosot - view from the east) |
| (Chedi & Library - view from the southwest) |
| (Ubosot - view from the northeast) |
| (Click button for aerial view) |