วันศุกร์ที่ 6 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

The Most impotant Buddhist Temple in Phuket

The most important of the 29 buddhist temples of Phuket is Wat Chalong (Thai: วัดฉลอง or วัดไชยธาราราม), located in the tambon Chalong, Mueang Phuket district. It is dedicated to two highly venerable monks, Luang Pho Chaem (หลวงพ่อแช่ม) and Luang Pho Chuang (หลวงพ่อช่วง), who with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured of a tin miners rebellion in 1876.


During the tin miners’ rebellion of 1876 they mobilized aid for the injured on both sides. They also mediated in the rebellion, bringing the warring parties together to resolve their dispute. Statues honoring them stand in the sermon hall (viharn). Many Thais come here to be blessed by the monks and receive a good luck charm in the form of a string tied around the wrist, which they believe protects them from injury and illness.



Many local Thais and Asian tourists will set off fire crackers and ask for the lucky lottery numbers, and have their fortune told. Just inside the main hall on the floor before the image are two cans of what looks like shaved bamboo chopsticks. Pick one up and shake the can back and forth rhythmically until one of the sticks works its way to the top and falls to the floor. Read the number, then walk around the corner to the right where there is a wooden cabinet on the wall. Open the drawer with the corresponding number and take one of the slips of paper inside. Get someone to translate it for you or hold onto it until you get back to your hotel where the desk clerk can translate it. Also on the floor are several pairs of red wooden blocks made from bamboo roots and shaped like twin halves of a mango. These help you make decisions. Pose a question that requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Toss the a pair blocks in the air and watch how they land on the floor. If both land with the same side up the answer is ‘no’; if they land, one up and one down, the answer is ‘yes’. Whichever form of divination you choose, be sure to leave a donation at the alter. It will go towards the upkeep of the shrine.



How to get there: Wat Chalong is about 8 km outside town. Take Vichit Songkram Road to the Bypass Road and turn left, and drive for about 10 mins. Wat Chalong is on the left.

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