Uraṅganidāna : The Lineage of Buddhist Shrines in Far Northeastern Thailand

Abstract

The Uraṅganidāna is a text written in northeastern Thai dialect giving an account of the lineage of Buddhist shrines in the far northeastern region of Thailand, as well as the region along the east bank of the Mekong River in Laos.
The main purpose of the Uraṅganidāna is to eulogise Brah Dhātu Phanom by devising a story that the place was once visited by the Buddha. Hence its sanctity is established. Concomitant events with the Buddha’s
visit were the coming into existence of the host of other Buddhist shrines. The text thus serves as the devise to legitimise and sanctify the extant Buddhist shrines in the far northeastern part of Thailand, as well as those on the eastern bank of the Mekong river in Laos. This is in line with the literary tradition which prevails in the Purāṇas.
The oldest shrines in that area date back to Dvāravatī period (cir.6^th to 8 centuries). Thus the date of the text cannot be earlier than the date of the oldest shrines, and so cannot be dated to the much earlier time of King Duṭṭhagāmanī (101-77 B.C.), as claimed by the text itself. As the text is more or less a version of Brah Uraṅgadhātu it should be composed during the same period, i.e. during the reign of King Suriyavongsā (1638-1690 A.D.) of the ancient Lao Kingdom.