Discover Ban Sra

Cultural connection in the associated community

Wat Lat Singh is located in the community associated with Ban Sra. For travelers interested in temple history and religious imagery, its cultural themes offer several specific points of interest. These include a Buddha statue with features described in detail, a traditional account of the temple’s founding, and specific architectural details. These topics address different questions: the statue focuses attention on religious representation, the account on a local interpretation of history, and the architectural description on materials and layout. Considering these aspects separately can help you better understand the community’s cultural connection.

Luang Pho Dam: age, material, and depiction

Luang Pho Dam is a Buddha statue made of laterite stone that is about 500 years old. It depicts the Buddha in the Maravijaya posture, in which he defeats Mara; it also has an ushnisha shaped like a lotus bud. The material, approximate age, posture, and an additional feature can thus be clearly distinguished. The age is an estimate, while Maravijaya identifies the moment depicted and the lotus bud describes the shape of the ushnisha. This distinction is useful if you want to understand the statue not only by its name but also by its specific religious features.

Temple name, tradition, and commemoration

Wat Lat Singh was formerly called Wat Ratchasing. According to a traditional local account, King Naresuan had the old temple built after winning the elephant duel and learning of Princess Suphankanlaya’s execution. He intended the construction to earn religious merit for her. The former name answers a different question from the account: it records what the temple was called in the past, while the local tradition conveys an occasion for its founding.

Wat Lat Singh also has monuments to King Naresuan, King Ekathotsarot, and Princess Suphankanlaya. People visit them to pay their respects to the figures depicted. The account and the monuments have a specific point of overlap: Naresuan and Suphankanlaya feature in both contexts; King Ekathotsarot is also named in connection with the monuments. This makes it possible to distinguish which names belong to the traditional founding story and which people are depicted by the monuments.

Ordination hall and other architectural forms

Wat Lat Singh’s ordination hall is made of wood as well as a mixture of bricks and mortar. Two statues with lion patterns stand in front of the hall. There is also a white chedi on the temple grounds, with a prang beside it. The features can be grouped by type: the ordination hall is described by its materials, while the two statues are described by their pattern and position in front of the hall. The descriptions distinguish the chedi and prang by the chedi’s white color and the prang’s location beside it. Materials, design, and position are therefore each associated with a separate detail.

Discover more destinations: Tha Rahat, Nong Sarai, Doem Bang, Mot Daeng, Bang Pap, Tha Phi Liang, Chorakhe Sam Phan, Rua Yai.

View the regional travel overview: Suphanburi.