Khao Chedi temple

Khao Chedi Temple is located at Baang Son sub-district, Patiw district, Chumphon province. A legend has it that the two rich siblings which are Lord Aie and Lord Yee had sailed on a junk carrying various wares and their servants to Yai Ram mound (Suwannaram temple nowadays) to find a beautiful mountain top for building a pagoda (a jedi.) They found this place to be suitable and had their servants placed a flag and began the construction. It is executed by lining up servants from the quay at the mound upward the mountain top and having them carried the bricks from person to person.Another legend says that Lord AiePhya and Lord Yee Phya who lived in the early of Ayutthaya period are the ones who had the pagoda built. They compiled different wares and materials and set sail on a junk along with their servants to Nakhon Si Thammarat city. They intent to have a pagoda built and use it to store Buddhist relics. However, when they arrived at Patiw city, they were notified that the people in Nakhon Si Thammarat city had already finished building it. They then decided to explore the mountain tops in Patiw and found one of them spectacular, so they had a pagoda built on it, giving the name Kao Jedi (pagoda mountain) to the area.The legend of Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Buddhist relic makes a reference to a war between Phya Si DhammaKorat and Lord U Thong, King of Sri Ayutthaya city. At some point, they made a peace treaty at a location unknown. Some speculates that it is the area of the modern Baang Son sub-district, Patiw district, Chumphon province. Another source suggests that it might be in the vicinity of the modern BaangSapan district, Prajuabkirikhan province.A pagoda originally built in Ayuthaya period is situated on the temple ground. Its construction is said to be finished right before the fall of Ayutthaya. The pagoda has a square base which is 9 meters long and wide. It is also made as a three-storey base with triple indented corners. The wall surround the pagoda is made of glass. The pagoda has a balcony for walking counterclockwise. There is only one stairway on the eastern wall of the pagoda. At the eastern side of the pagoda itself, there is a porch containing a red sandstone Buddha statue in Mara Vichaya posture. Above the porch, there is a lotus petal sculpture supporting a tall, round bell. The finial of the pagoda is broken and bent because relic thieves have ransacked the place for treasures. To the north of the pagoda, there is still a ruin of a considerably-sized ordination hall and pieces of eaves tiles with dheva images are scattered throughout the area.Khao Chedi temple is 500 meters away from Patiw’s district governing office, beside the highway 4. There is a golden Buddha stature so large that it can be seen from a far distance.