Phra Pathom Chedi
Phra Pathom Chedi (Thai: พระปฐมเจดีย์) is the highest stupa in the world with a height of 127 m. It is located in the town Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
The name Phra Pathom Chedi means Holy chedi (stupa) of the beginning. The stupa at the location is first mentioned in scriptures of the year 675, however archaeological findings date a first stupa to the 4th century. In the 11th century it was overbuilt with a Khmer style prang, which was later overgrown by the jungle. The ruin was visited several times by the later King Mongkut during his time as a monk, and after his coronation he ordered the building of a new and more magnificent chedi at the site. After 17 years of construction it was finished in 1870, and the population of nearby Nakhon Chai Si was ordered to move to the newly created town around the chedi.
In 2005 the building was submitted to the UNESCO as a future world heritage site.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
