Hua Nong Temple

Terrain

General Condition

Wat Hua Nong is an abandoned ancient site. It is located within Wiang Kum Kam near the Wiang Wall on the north side. It is a large ancient site. Area of ​​almost 4 rai, the name of the temple is assumed that in the past, this temple was probably near a swamp (Saraswati Ongsakul 1994:56)

Wat Hua Nong, located 1.3 kilometers east of the Ping River, consists of 5 groups of ancient monuments, making it the most structured temple in Wiang Kum Kam.

The present condition of the ancient site Surrounded by longan plantations, rice fields and housing estates

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Ping River

Geological conditions

It is a river basin area. was deposited with sand and gravel sediments. In the Holocene era

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

Wat Hua Nong is an abandoned ancient site. There is no information of the ancient site in any historical document. The name of Wat Hua Nong is the name that the villagers call. It is assumed that this may be due to the fact that this temple is located near a swamp.

The Fine Arts Department has excavated, studied and restored the ancient monument of Wat Hua Nong in the years 1988 – 1989 (Department of Fine Arts 2005 :96 – 100). The information of ancient monuments and antiquities was found as follows.

Wat Hua Nong archaeological site covers an area of ​​approximately 4 rai. It is a very large group of ancient sites in Wiang Kum Kam. It consists of 5 groups of ancient monuments.

Architectural features

1. Group 1 archaeological sites located in the southwest of the temple. It consists of an elephant chedi surrounded by a viharn and a chedi beside the viharn.

The form of the viharn in the ancient monuments group 1 is a hall temple in a rectangular plan. Lifting the front two parts, one back, for enshrining the principal Buddha image. At the base of the main Buddha image, there are traces of overlapping construction in 2 periods, with stairs leading up to the main front and side of the viharn. wooden roof structure thatched with clay tiles In front of the temple, there are traces of the entrance arch.

for the pagoda behind the viharn looks like a castle From the excavation, it was found that the original chedi was built in the style of an elephant surrounded. The base of Chedi Chang Lom has a chopping board base that is stacked in 3 tiers, on the second floor of the chopping board, decorated with stucco sculptures depicting Moi elephants in front pose. leave the circuit on the ground Only half of the body emerges from the base, 5 ropes on each side.

In the last pagoda construction, bricks and cement were covered all over the elephant image until it became a clean base. The original foundation was filled with stone and covered with bricks. They also built a low brick wall. surround the pagoda

In addition, the north and south sides of the pagoda It is the location of another 2 small chedi built in the same period as the Chang Lom Chedi. The pagoda on the north side is built in a square plan, lifted 2 sections on 3 sides, only on the side adjacent to the Chang Lom Chedi, there is no lift.

In addition, another 20 wooden recessed chedi was also found on the side of the viharn. From excavation, the bell body was found to look like a carambola petal. Only half of the damage was left. The throne is decorated with asterisks. Similar appearance to the chedi at Wat Mahathat, Lop Buri Province

2. The second group of ancient monuments consists of the Ubosot and the Mondop.

The ordination hall faces east. It is a building in a rectangular plan. Lift the front gauge 1 section with stairs leading up to the main front and a small staircase on the side of the line Lift the front gate on both sides. The southern wall of the building is wrinkled like a balcony. wooden roof structure thatched with clay tiles At the end of the Ubosot, there is a rather complicated construction of additional buildings.

On the north side, there is a Mondop built to connect from the ubosot. At present, only the base of Patt Yok Ket 3, part 3, is left, except for the south side, which is a walkway connecting to the Ubosot.

3. The 3rd group of ancient monuments is located at the northern end of Wat Hua Nong. It consists of a glass wall and a Mekong arch. The schematic diagram of the facade is frequently gauged.

Mekong arch base, the shape of a wooden base, double breasted plexiglass The wood is decorated with high relief stucco sculptures depicting Himmapan animals in glass frames, such as Kirin, Swan and Singha.

4. The 4th group of ancient monuments is located at the northern end of Wat Hua Nong. Found a line of glass walls and the base of the building that is divided into rectangular rooms of various sizes. assumed to be a group of monks To the south of the cloister is a well. Next is the Mekong arch. which should be the entrance-exit connected to the 5th group of ancient monuments.

5. The 5th group of ancient monuments is located within the glass wall. It consists of a pagoda, a viharn, an ordination hall facing east. and rectangular buildings It is planned along the north-south line connecting to the temple. There are parapets, known rock and granite boundaries at regular intervals.

The form of the viharn in the ancient monuments group 5 is a hall temple in a rectangular plan. Lifting the front 2 parts and 1 part in the back. The back room has a Chukchi base for enshrining the Buddha image. There is a staircase leading up to the main front. and a small staircase north side of the line lift the front gauge wooden roof structure Thatched with clay tiles

The chedi is located behind the viharn on the same base (Pheithi base), only the lower base is visible in the square plan. Support the base of the round board As for the top, it has collapsed and the pattern is unknown.

For the chapel located on the north side of the viharn facing east Only the base of the building is left in the rectangular plan. There is a staircase leading up to the front. On the side of the chapel, there is a boundary stone sema leaf.

Artifacts found

in the study Found important ancient artifacts, including A piece of stucco sculpture at the Mekong arch of the 3rd group of ancient sites, from comparing the stucco patterns that have already appeared in Wiang Kum Kam. Age can be determined around the end of the 21st Buddhist century.

Also found glazed and unglazed pottery made from the San Kamphaeng source. Wiang Kalong furnace source and found a large number of Chinese wares from the Ming Dynasty (1911 – 2187 AD), including Buddha artifacts that were mostly found from the excavation of ancient monuments group 1 – 4, aged around the 19th Buddhist century – 20

Other antiques found include:11 pieces of sandstone inscriptions, 1 piece of brick inscription, Thai Lanna or Phak Kham script. It is assumed to be around the 21st - 22nd Buddhist century.

Determination of age

The archaeological site of Wat Hua Nong has been renovated continuously for many periods. The archaeological sites that were built in the early stages were group 1 archaeological sites. It can be said that the ancient site of Wat Hua Nong was probably built around the end of the 20th - 21st Buddhist centuries and would have been continuously renovated until Wiang Kum Kam was abandoned.