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Phra That Phanom Woramahawihan Temple (Thai: วัดพระธาตุพนมวรมหาวิหาร) is a significant religious site that symbolizes the prosperity of Buddhism in Nakhon Phanom since ancient times. It is located alongside the Mekong River in the That Phanom District of the southern part of Nakhon Phanom Province, northeastern Thailand. This temple has a stupa that is regarded as the Northeastern Buddha's Relics, with the oldest history in the Middle Mekong River Basin and Thailand. The temple is one of the most significant Theravada Buddhist structures in the region because, according to mythology, it is where the Buddha's breast bones, also known as Phra Uranghathat (Thai: พระอุรังคธาตุ)  or Phra Ura (Thai: พระอุระ) are kept. Moreover, the architectural form and style of Phra That Phanom Woramahawihan Temple became a template for many other stupas housing historical relics in Nakorn Phanom's surrounding districts and neighboring provinces.

At temple, a festival is held annually to celebrate the temple. Thousands of people come to the temple to venerate it throughout the week-long festival. Additionally, the temple is a well-known Thai folk Buddhist site of pilgrimage for those who were born in the year of the monkey.

The figure of the temple has also served as an inspiration for numerous folk arts and modern designs.

History
According to mythology, Lord Buddha ordered Mahakasyapa, one of his most important disciples, to carry his breast relics to be venerated on "Kapon Khiri" Mountain or "Phu Kampra" in order to preserve Buddhism after his passing. As a result, Phra That Phanom Woramahawihan Temple was constructed on Phu Kampra in 535 B.C. with Mahakasyapa as the project's leader, alongside 500 Arahants, and five Phrayas: Phraya Suwant Phingkhan (the chief of Nong Han Luang), Phraya Kham Daeng (the chief of Nong Han Noi), Phraya Chulanee Phrommathat (the chief of Chulanee), and Phraya Inthapat (the chief of Si Khotrabun Luang).

At that time, clay served as the primary building material. In chunks the size of Mahakasyapa's hand, the clay was assembled to form a square cavity that was approximately four meters wide and four meters deep, measured by the length of Mahakasyapa's arm, before being placed in a four-meter-high kiln with four entrances and baked. The Buddha's chest bones, which had been transported from India, were placed inside by the five Phrayas while Mahakasyapa placed the precious objects inside. A few modifications have been added to Phra That Phanom, rising from the same base to 24 meters in 43 B.C., 47 meters in 1690, and 57 meters in 1940. Later, there was an earthquake in March 1975 that caused some significant fractures to form, and as the weight of the renovations increased, the building was tragically demolished. Subsequently, on August 11, 1975, at 19:38, the entire stupa collapsed following a day of intense rain. Due to inadequate drainage, the moisture seeped into the vents and caused the old bricks to break up.

The Fine Arts Department miraculously rescued a massive bronze casket as they sought to shift the wreckage. They discovered an eight-layered set of gold cases inside that were guarding eight precious treasures that were kept in a 2.1-centimeter-high glass box that was covered in gold plate and sealed with a gold lid and contained "Chan" oil. The government and locals worked together to rebuild the stupa on May 28, 1976. The new base, which is 12.33 meters wide and 53.60 meters high (about 5 centimeters narrower than the old one on each side), was built over the remaining 6-meter base after the concrete was strengthened. This new stupa likewise had a square shape coated in white and embellished with the noticeable golden lotus flower pattern, just like the previous one.

On March 21, 1979, the repair of stupa was finished. The ceremony for enshrining the Buddha's chest relics was presided over by the late King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. The following day, the ceremony to raise the 4-meter-tall, 110-kilogram golden parasol and attach it to the top of the Phrathat was presided over by the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. Eventually, on March 23, King Bhumibol, Queen Sirikit, and other members of the royal family visited the location to place the Buddha's chest relics inside the stupa.

architecture
The architecture of Phra That Phanom is contemporaneous with the early Khmer art of Phra Nakhon from the Buddhist periods of the 14th to 15th centuries. When compared to the surrounding artwork, the art at Phra That Phanom in the early period can be determined by looking at the art's structure, decorating patterns, and comparison. It is a work of art that combines many art characteristics including Pre-Phra Nakhon Khmer art (B.E. 12–14), early Phra Nakhon Khmer art (B.E. 15) combined with traditional art, which is Dvaravati art (B.E. 12–16). These artistic disciplines were passed down from the Lao side craftspeople who lived along the Se Bang Fai River basin and were influenced by Hindu Brahmanism.

There is a stupa (chedi) with a 53-meter height that is rectangle-shaped and is common in northeastern Thailand and Laos. The stupa is located inside the large temple known as Phra That Phanom Woramahawiharn temple. It was believed to have been constructed earlier than the 12th century. The Phra That Phanom Stupa has a unique architectural design. It integrates the traditional elements of Buddhist Relics Stupa architectural style and symbolism from India with the traditional grammar of sacred representation of the ancient Chams and Khmers, as well as the regional spirit of the Mekong region and the local artistic ornamentations. It was built as an inventive architectural response to the people's unwavering faith and spirituality.

The entire stupa collapsed on August 11, 1975, around 7 p.m., after several days of heavy rainfall. In order to restore the stupa to its original state, the Thai public offered large donations. While other debris was placed in the brick stupa of the original Phra That Phanom temple, which was situated on the isle in the middle of the pond, other bricks from the old stupa, in good condition and beautifully patterned, were used to decorate the new Phra That Phanom temple. An iron plate was placed over the top point of the old Phrathat Phanom temple to shield it from lightning strikes. In the Ratanamoli Si Khotrabun Art and Cultural Center, Chao Raja Kru Luang Pon Sameg, a well-known priest in the Lan Xang kingdom, was able to gather additional priceless items discovered in the collapsed Phra That Phanom temple. Along with these, he brought other priceless items from Vietnam and Laos, including Buddha images from different eras and a golden seven-tiered umbrella decorated with priceless jewelry in the Lan Xang style.

Annual festival
Thousands of Thai and Lao Buddhists visit the Phra That Phanom Woramahawihan Temple each year for a week long festival to honor the temple and the Buddha's relics. For those who were born on Sunday or in the Year of the Monkey, this temple is a sacred location. Every year, a large number of Buddhists participate in a festival held in honor of temple, which lasts from the third lunar month's third day of the waning moon to its third day of the waxing moon.