Wat Phra Phutthabat Tak Pha, Royal Buddhist temple in Makok, Thailand
Wat Phra Phutthabat Tak Pha is a Buddhist temple in Makok, Pa Sang District, Lamphun Province, set between two forested mountains. The grounds hold several ceremonial buildings in traditional northern Thai style, with decorated arched windows and a walled compound.
Queen Cham Thewi is credited with founding this monastery around 1200 and ordering a protective structure to be built over the sacred Buddha footprints. That early act of royal support shaped the site's standing as a place of veneration in the region.
The sacred Buddha footprints kept in the Vihan Jaturamook draw pilgrims who come to pray and leave offerings throughout the year. Nearby, the Ubosot is decorated on the outside with the twelve Chinese zodiac symbols, rendered in northern Thai style.
The temple sits in Pa Sang District and can be reached by paved roads from both the north and southwest. Visitors should dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, as is expected at all sacred sites in Thailand.
The temple's name refers to a legend in which the Buddha washed his robe against a rock, leaving a permanent mark shaped like monk's garments on the stone. That marked rock is now considered one of the most sacred objects on the grounds.
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