Wat Nam Lat

Rating: 3.2/5 (13 votes)

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Wat Nam Lat Na Pang, Phu Pieng, Nan. Wat Nam Lat is a temple of the Mahanikaya sect. It was officially established in 1874 (B.E. 2417) and received the royal land boundary (Wisungkhamsima) in 1978 (B.E. 2521).

 

The original vihara (ordination hall) of Wat Nam Lat was referred to as the "ma tang mai" style. The roof was covered with wooden shingles (paen klet). The front gable was painted with floral patterns, while the eyebrow-like arch (known as rong phueng) featured a painting of Rahu swallowing the moon, using yellow and red tones. The bargeboards (pan lom) were shaped like a naga’s head and adorned with mirror mosaic (glass inlay).

 

The vihara had one door in the front and two on the sides, with three windows on each side wall. This original vihara was dismantled around 2055 B.E. (likely a typographical error, possibly meant to be 2498 B.E. or 1955 C.E.), during the tenure of Phra Mueang Kham Wongkawan as abbot.

 

The current vihara is of modified Lanna architectural style. Construction began in 1955 (B.E. 2498) and was completed in 1959 (B.E. 2502), with its consecration celebrated in 1960 (B.E. 2503), during the time of Phra Saman Sumethso as abbot.

 

Inside, the principal Buddha image of the temple is enshrined. The beams are made of Pradoo wood (rosewood) sourced from "Jam Khoi," a forest area near Ban Thong Noi. The roof is covered with triangular tiles. The builder was craftsman Sriyoo from Ban Ming Mueang, Mueang District, Nan Province.

 

The front gable and mirrored decorative elements were crafted by artisan Prasong from Ban Samun, also in Mueang Nan. In 1980 (B.E. 2523), major renovations were carried out under the leadership of Phra Athikan Solot Attadeepo, then abbot.

 

During the renovation, the finials (cho fa) were replaced, and the original triangular-tile roof was changed to corrugated iron. That same year, Phra Nikhom Chalaphinyo was appointed acting abbot. He later received the ecclesiastical title Phra Khru Phisan Nantakhun and led further restorations.

 

The pan lom (bargeboards) were also replaced, from wood to cement. Concrete was poured around the vihara. Additionally, murals depicting the life of the Buddha and the Vessantara Jataka were painted inside the vihara by artisan Pratuan, a native of Ban Mae Kham Mi, Tamnak Tham, Rong Kwang District, Phrae Province. The names of the craftsmen who restored the cho fa and pan lom are not definitively known, only that they were from Phrae.

 

The vihara of Wat Nam Lat, restored in 1957 (B.E. 2500), features a principal Buddha image from the Sukhothai period. It remains a sacred space for religious ceremonies. Notably, during the Loy Krathong Festival, the temple hosts an annual Yi Peng celebration to preserve and promote Thai cultural traditions.