| Wat Sanuan Wari Phatthanaram | |
|---|---|
วัดสนวนวารีพัฒนาราม | |
 The traditionalsim is in the foreground with a newer, Bangkok-stylewat in the background. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Sect | Theravāda,Mahā Nikāya |
| Region | Northern Thailand |
| Location | |
| Location | 87 Thanon Mittraphap, Hua Nong,Ban Phai,Khon Kaen |
| Country | Thailand |
  Shown within Thailand | |
| Geographic coordinates | 16°02′23″N102°42′16″E / 16.039613233411867°N 102.70433473998064°E /16.039613233411867; 102.70433473998064 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1926 |
Wat Sanuan Wari Phatthanaram[a] (Thai:วัดสนวนวารีพัฒนาราม) is aMahā NikāyaTheravāda Buddhist temple, orwat, in Hua Nong,Khon Kaen,Thailand. Constructed in the early 1920s, is known for itsIsanhup taem (ฮูปแต้ม, 'mural painting' inIsan) depicting scenes from theVessantara Jātaka andSang Sinxay decorating theordination hall (สิม,sim).[2] A more modern, Bangkok-stylewat was constructed on the site in 1997, with the oldsim remaining in place for tourists and private ceremonies. Despite its value as a work of local Isan culture, the oldsim has received only minimal preservation and restoration work.[3]
Wat Sanuan Wari was established in 1922 and construction of itssim began after receiving a royal grant (วิสุงคามสีมา,wisungkhamsima) on 13 April 1923. The structure was completed in 1926.[2] To support its construction, the local people raised฿200 (equivalent to ฿24,192 in 2020).[4] Around 2007, the original roof was replaced with a corrugated metal roof in same style as the original wooden roof.[5]
Thesim, which is made of bricks and plaster, has three rooms and measures 5 by 7.5 metres (16 ft × 25 ft). The east-facing front wall has a Vietnamese-style arched doorway. The west wall is solid, while the north and south wall feature semicircular arched windows.[6] It was mostly likely designed by an ethnically Vietnamese craftsman named Chang Kaew (ช่างแกว), also known asông Thông Pha, and it features a Vietnamese-style roof and arches. The stairs leading up about 1 metre (3.3 ft) into thesim feature stucco banisters shaped likenāga.[4] In side thesim, against the west wall, is a Buddha statue theMāravijaya attitude produced by local craftsmen.[6]
The interior and exterior of thesim contain painted murals created by local artisans with powder paints in indigo, green, yellow, black, and brown; the brightly colored murals are designed to stand out from their light, cream-colored background.[7] The interior murals include thirteen chapters of theVessantara Jātaka depicted in panels similar to the cloth scrolls used to tell the same stories of Buddha's life during localBun Phawet festivals with captions naming each scene.[8] The exterior murals are mostly scenes from theSinsai epic, the Isan version of the LaoSang Sinxay epic. The story of the rescue of a princess from ayaksha by her three nephews begins on the south wall of thesim and travel clockwise around the building. On the west wall, theSinsai retelling is interrupted by a panel depicting scenes from hell (naraka).[9]
Also on the west wall, in a false window, is a self-portrait purported to be of one of thehup taem's artists, Mr. Yuak (นายยวก).[10] A second local artist, Mr. Daeng (นายแดง), is also credited with working on thehup taem.[4]
Media related toWat Sanuan Wari at Wikimedia Commons