Thailand’s Stonehenge

Posted by paul on March 7th, 2009 filed in Culture & customs, People, Travel destinations

Anyone flying over the small Udon Thani district of Ban Phue can see endless, in all directions stretching rice fields, with occasional cattle gnawing on stalks left over from the harvest. Farther north, along a canal snaking its way through the paddies, is Phu Phan, a sandstone ridge that reaches into Laos. The lifeless Ban Phue landscape isn’t exactly breathtaking, but for archaeologists this is exciting territory.

The Fine Arts Department has excavated several sites around here and found numerous artefacts that suggest Phu Phan hill was a forest-temple centre for hundreds of years. There are Buddha images, boundary stones and other remnants dating back to the 10th century, the Dvaravati Period. On both sides of the Mekong River you can find animist, forest and Buddhist temples.

In the village of Nong Kaleum, you may explore the little Wat Nonsila-ard (temple). Here are also some of the recently excavated boundary stones. They are not typical markers, but clearly ancient, three metres high and created out of pinkish sandstone, with fine carvings on the lower parts of horses and people who are reminiscent of Angkor’s dancing apsara.

However, don’t let the Hindu-style carvings fool you as this isn’t a Hindu monastery, even if the artwork suggests this. The historic structure is a Buddhist forest-temple. Monks who pursue their faith in the forests usually come from a little faction of Theravada Buddhism popular among the Lao-speaking communities in Northeast Thailand.

Conservative and orthodox, they bring scant possessions to the woods in search of nirvana through unfettered meditation. The Lord Buddha’s wisdom was continuously passed on in the folklore, stories based on his earlier incarnations. The illustrations on the boundary stones depict the Jataka tales about the Buddha.

From the village it takes just a five-minute walk to reach Phutthabat Buaban, a historic park. Another group of boundary stones are positioned in the forest’s centre. This place is rightfully nicknamed “Thailand’s Stonehenge”. There are three rings of huge stones, looming like a long-lost twin of the renowned ancient site in England’s Wiltshire. Each ring forms an octagon. The composition is as mysterious as it is unique.

So far, much less is known about the monastery’s ruins than scientists have pried from Stonehenge. The remains seem to hark back to Lop Buri and Dvaravati eras, suggesting the forest-temple originated in the 10th century as well. Phu Phrabat Historical Park is a 30-minute ride away and is particularly notable for its bizarre rock formations, stunning Buddha carvings and caves. Walking around the archaeological sites here you can witness the fascinating transformation from caveman to devout monk.