| Believed to have been originally built
in 1796, the wat is located at the foot of the sacred hill known as Phou Si. After
Wat Visun was destroyed along with many other wats during invasions in 1887, Wat Mai
became the home of the Pra Bang image from 1894 until 1947. In 1968, a spectacular
gilded stucco facade depicting Pra Vet Sandorn from the Vessantara Jataka, the legend of
one of the last reincarnations of the Buddha, was created. During the annual New
Year Festival, the Pra Bang image is enshrined in the courtyard for three days for
visitors to asperse in a religious ceremony of purification. |
