VAT AHAM
Vat Aham means "monastery of the blossoming heart". It was built at the beginning of the 19th century (around 1822) by King Mang Tha Tourath, close to the main altar of the city's geniuses: Ho Seua Meuang. Located next to Wat Visounnarath and That Makmo, Wat Aham is today a relatively quiet place. Two tigers watch over the pagoda, and the statues of the guardians Ravana and Hanuman - central temple figures from the Ramayana, the Indian epic, and its Laotian counterpart, the Phalak Phalam - stand at the southern and eastern corners of the front porch. Unlike a number of other pagodas in Luang Prabang, there is no external decoration on the walls of the porch. Also noteworthy: the complex houses various stupas and two bodhi trees (banyan or Bo tree) that house the protector of the royal spirit, the Haw Phi Khon. It was under a similar tree that Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya (India). The interior of the sim is colourful, with red and gold pillars, and the walls are covered with paintings depicting Buddhist precepts and scenes from the city's history.
During the 19th century, and before the Vat Mai succeeded him, the Vat Aham served as the residence of the Sangkhalat, the Supreme Patriarch of Buddhism; and it was considered the centre of the cult of the guardians of Luang Prabang, the Devata Luang spirits: Phou Gneu and Gna gneu, whose masks and dances are always present in ceremonies, particularly on the occasion of the Lao New Year.
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