That Pathum, Luang Prabang

That Pathum, affectionately nicknamed the Watermelon Stupa.

That Pathum is an unusually shaped stupa in Luang Prabang. It is located within the compound of Wat Wisunalat. That Pathum means Stupa of the Great Lotus, but among the locals, it is affectionately called That Makmo, meaning Watermelon Stupa, on account of its rotund shape. Next door is another significant temple, Wat Aham.

The style of That Pathum is said to reflect Sinhalese influence, albeit in my opinion only to a vague extend. You can compare it perhaps with the Ruwanweliseya Dagoba of Anuradhapura.

I paid a visit to That Pathum when a small group of AsiaExplorers members and I explored the sights in Luang Prabang. We were fortunate to visit it on a clear and cloudless day.

Various accounts stated that That Pathum was built either around 1503-4 or 1514-15. During its construction, small, precious Buddha images were placed inside it. It suffered damage when attacked by the Chinese Haw marauders in 1887, with some of its Buddha images stolen. What remains are now kept in Haw Kham, the Royal Palace Museum.

That Pathum as seen in the compound of Wat Wisunalat.

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