PHRA BOROMMATHAT SRI NAGARINDRA SATHIT MAHA SANTI KHIRI

VIDEO DESCRIPTION

 

 

Phra Borommathat Sri Nagarindra Sathit Maha Santi Khiri (พระบรมธาตุศรีนครินทราสถิตย์มหาสันติคีรี) is a pagoda located an altitude of about 1,500 meters above sea level, on the top of Doi Mae Salong (ดอยแม่สลอง), in Mae Salong Nok (แม่สลองนอก) Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang (แม่ฟ้าหลวง) District, in Chiang Rai (เชียงราย) Province, some 4 kilometers from Santi Khiri (สันติคีรี) Village and which belongs to the temple Wat Santi Khiri Yahn Sangwararam (วัดสันติคีรีญาณสั งวราราม). The stupa was completed in 1996 and was built in honour of Princess Sri Nagarindra (ศรีนครินทรา), the Princess Mother, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. She was the mother of both King Bhumipon Adunyadet (ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช) and his older brother King Ananda Mahidol (อานันทมหิดลฯ), as well as the grandmother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (มหาวชิราลงกรณ). Adjacent to the stupa is a mondop (มณฑป)-like hall with gilded naga-stair cases, and below it, on the flank of the mountain, is the temple's ubosot (อุโบสถ), i.e. its main prayer hall. From here, a long staircase flanked by balustrades in the form of Chao Poo Sri Sutho (เจ้าปู่ศรีสุทโธ) and Chao Yah Sri Patum Mah Naki (เจ้าย่าศรีปทุมมานาคี) a snake, i.e. naak (นาค) or naga (नाग) couple in semi-human form, descends into the village below. These three buildings all have the Princess Mother's Royal Cypher incorporated on them, such as on their gables, windows, etc. The cypher, which is shaped in the form of a lotus bud, is made up of the initials of her first name, i.e. Sangwaan (สังวาลย์), and consists of a strongly stylized Thai S (ส) and W (ว). Inside the stupa is a statue and a memorial dedicated to the Princess Mother. Totally unrelated, but incidentally also appearing in the video are a large Chinese Oak Silkmoth (Antheraea pernyi) and a butterfly known as the Red Lacewing (Cethosia biblis).