071209 Wat Had Siaw 3 - exterior murals

An interruption to normal programming - a 'special feature' series of posts on Wat Had Siaw in Chomphet district of Luang Prabang. Please see part 1 of this series for background info on this place & the reason for this 'special feature'.

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Above main entrance door of viharn - scenes from Buddha's life story:



The Earth Mother/Goddess deity แม่ธรณี Mae Thoranii wrings water from her hair (left half) to drown Mara & other demons attacking Buddha (right half):



Beware of what's lurking in the flood created by Mae Thoranii - victim #1 has his head chomped on by shark-like creature #1, while all that's left of victim #2 are 2 legs sticking out from the jaws of shark-like creature #2:



Prince Siddartha leaves home & cut off his hair by the banks of the Anoma river to become a mendicant:



On his right are his servant Chana & horse Kanthanka. At bottom right, after eating, he floats a bowl in the river & it travels upstream against the current, indicating that he will gain enlightenment in time to come. The bowl contained an offering of milk rice given to him by a noble lady called Sujatha.

Scenes that the cat has never come across before:



At the top, a god(?) appears to be playing a musical instrument while Buddha rests below some trees, & at left, Buddha looks up at a stupa...?

When he finally attains Enlightenment he is depicted as sitting on a lotus flower (middle):



Below the above paintings, flanking the main door: