Wat Phra Phutthabat Ratchaworawihan

History & Significance

Wat Phra Phutthabat Ratchaworawihan is a premier first-class royal temple of the Ratchaworawihan class, located in Khun Khlon Sub-district, Phra Phutthabat District, Saraburi Province. According to the Ayutthaya royal chronicles, a group of Thai monks traveled to Sri Lanka to worship the Buddha's footprint on Sumonnakut Mountain. The Sri Lankan monks informed them that a sacred Buddha's footprint already existed in Thailand on Suwan Banphot Mountain. Upon learning this, the monks returned to Ayutthaya and informed King Songtham, who then ordered a nationwide search across all provinces to locate the footprint.

The governor of Saraburi discovered the footprint through a local hunter named Phran Bun. While hunting in the forest near the mountain, Phran Bun shot a deer. The wounded deer fled into a thicket on the mountainside and emerged completely healed. Intrigued, Phran Bun investigated the spot and found a footprint-like depression in the stone filled with water. He applied the water to his chronic skin diseases, which were instantly cured. The governor inspected the site, confirmed the discovery, and reported it to Ayutthaya. King Songtham visited the site and recognized the footprint as matching the 108 auspicious characteristics. He established a temporary shelter over it in 1624, which was later developed into a grand temple. The King dedicated the surrounding land as a sacred field, established the town of Prantapa (commonly called Phra Phutthabat), and appointed dedicated guardians known as Khun Khlon to protect the site.

Highlights & What to See

The central highlight of the temple is the sacred Buddha's footprint, which measures 21 inches wide, 60 inches long, and 11 inches deep. It is housed inside an exquisite square Mondop (shrine) featuring a magnificent seven-tiered castle-like roof covered with green glazed tiles. The exterior is adorned with miniature gables on each tier and 12-angled pillars decorated with gold leaf and glass mosaics. The entrance doors of the Mondop are celebrated as some of the finest mother-of-pearl inlay artworks in Thailand, and the interior floor is paved with a beautifully woven silver mat.

The approach to the Mondop features three parallel Naga staircases representing the silver, gold, and glass ladders of Buddhist cosmology. The five-headed Naga heads at the base of the stairs are cast in bronze. Surrounding the Mondop, visitors will find rows of hanging bells. The surrounding Ubosot (ordination hall) and Viharns (image halls) are built in the classic architectural styles of the Ayutthaya and early Rattanakosin periods.

Visitor Information

The temple is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30. Admission is free. Visitors are expected to dress respectfully, covering shoulders and knees, as this is one of Thailand's most sacred royal temples. A popular local belief states that those who pay respect to this Buddha footprint seven times will be reborn in heaven, and will receive blessings of success and fulfillment in their current life.

The temple is also famous for the Tak Bat Dok Mai (Flower Alms Offering Festival), held annually on the first day of the waning moon of the eighth lunar month (typically in July), marking the start of Buddhist Lent (Khao Phansa). During this unique festival, locals offer cooked rice to monks in the morning and present beautiful Khao Phansa flowers to the monks in the afternoon.

How to Get There

Wat Phra Phutthabat Ratchaworawihan is located at Moo 8, Khun Khlon Sub-district, Phra Phutthabat District, Saraburi Province. On-site parking is available for visitors traveling by private vehicle.