Attraction Details :
Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao
Wat Phra
Kaeo Don Tao or Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao Suchadaram is located in
WiangNuea sub-district, Mueang district, Lampang province.
The
temple was built between 1782 and 1809, during which the Chiang Saen
people had been captured and herded to locate in Khelang town to recall
goodness of MrsSuchada after being sentenced to death because of
misunderstanding. However, the truth was revealed later. It was believed
that the temple was a home and a watermelon farm of Goddess Suchada in
the past. Later on 6 August 1984, the Ministry of Education combined
WatSuchadaram with WatPhraKaeo Don Tai and called it WatPhraKaeo Don Tao
Suchadaram.
Its
ordination hall is Chiang Saen style of architecture. It is a
stucco-over-brick building decorated with mural paintings covered
withlacquer and gold leaves. Inside the hall,a Buddha image in the
attitude of subduing Mara is enshrined on a plaster base. The ordination
hall was renovated in 1922, 1960 and 2007on the occasion of The
Sixtieth Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty's Accession to the
Throne.
The
reason why it was named Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao was that Mrs. Suchada
found an emerald in the watermelon and offered it to a great monk who
hired a craftsman to carve it as a Buddha image called PhraKaeo Don Tao.
Afterwards, it was enshrined at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. According
to the legend, someone told this story to Lampang governor at that time
that that monk and Mrs. Suchada had committed adultery. She was
therefore executed while the monk fled away with the Buddha image, which
has been enshrined at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang till present.
Faithful people donated money to build a temple at Suchada’s house
called WatSuchadaram. Some assumed that Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao and Wat
Suchadaram were deserted, adding that this area was a watermelon orchard
and upland. The Buddha relics were therefore
called PhraBoromathat Don Tao and its temple was named WatPhra That Don
Tao. Later when Phra Kaeo Don Tao was enshrined, its name was changed
to “Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao”.
