Phra Thutangkha Chedi (พระธุตังคเจดีย์)

Thai. Name of a Buddhist pagoda-hall located within the compound of Wat Asokaraam (fig.) in Samut Prakan. This white edifice has a square floor plan and is topped with 13 bell-shaped stupas. The pinnacle consists of a large stupa located in the top centre, which is surrounded by 12 smaller ones arranged diagonally in 4 rows of 3, in descending order from the central peak. There are spacious halls on three of the four floors, with the top level consisting of a balcony that surrounds the central chedi. The halls contain some Buddha images, as well as bronze statues of venerated monks and of Luang Pho Lih (fig.), the founder of Wat Asokaraam. The name Thutangkha is said to derive from thudongkawat, a Thai-Pali word meaning ‘ascetic routine’ or ‘ascetic duty’ and related to the term thudong. See MAP. 回