Old Ubosoth of Wat Phra Thong
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Old Ubosoth of Wat Phra Thong |
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Approaching Thalang from the west, from Naiyang or Naithon Beaches, by car or bike, you will pass a peaceful landscape. Green hills towards the beaches covered with palm and rubber trees, green meadows in front of you. Black buffaloes and white birds attract your views. |
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Buffaloes at Phuket Island have a long history. One of the legends locals tell farangs is this one: |
| Once upon a time, more than 250 years ago, there was a buffalo boy who tied his buffalo to an object in a meadow thought by him to be a root. The boy suddenly died, the buffalo a few minutes later. |
| What happened? |
| After having cremated his son the father returned to the mysterious place. He cleaned the "root" and surprisingly he discovered it to be a "ketnappa", the spiral decoration of a Buddha statue's head. |
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The governor ordered an excavation. But as laborers started their work, hordes of angry wasps descended, driving off anyone. The workers tried again another day and revealed a Buddha statue's face made of gold. They had no success in proceeding their work. Wasps and other calamities drove the diggers away. Only the head could be bared. |
| The governor ordered a shelter to be built. |
| In about 1750 (European calendar) Burmese warriors conquered Thailand. Phuket too was attacked and occupied. Of course collecting gold was the utmost Burmese passion and so they lusted for the golden Buddha statue. |
| Another excavation was ordered. But same disaster as years ago befell the Burmese soldiers now. Ants arose in masses. Bitten, lots of Burmese died. The general did not desist and drove his men until hundreds died. They only could dig as deep as to the golden statue's throat. Finally the Burmese armies were driven away with the Buddha statue still buried in its field. |  |
| Why did the boy and the buffalo die? Thais consider the head the most sacred part of a human body. The head of a Buddha statue is much more holy. A low buffalo being tied to such a sacred object is an insult of a most gross dimension. |
| Today the golden head with its ketnappa and statue's shoulders are disguised by a cover. You only can see these ones visiting Wat Phra Thong. |
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Did you enjoy your visit at Wat Phra Thong and are you interested to learn more about Thai Buddhist wats? Proceed to Wat Phra Nang Sang in Thalang and admire the murals in the old ubosoth. The buffalo boy's picture is one of them. |
 "THE BOY WHO KEPT THE BUFFALOES DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING AND THOUGHT THAT IS WAS A STUMP OF THE TREE. HE TIED THE BUFFALOES ON IT AND HAPPENED BY ITSELF. THE BURMESE KNEW THE NEWS." |
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