Maha Sarakham City Pillar Shrine—Maha Sarakham City, Thailand - Buddhist Temples and Public Shrines on Waymarking.com

Lak Mueang or City Pillar Shrine (as it is known in English) is a Thai public shrine, which is or represents the tutelary diety of each province of the Kingdom of Thailand. Essentially, the shrine represents "good luck" and acts as a guardian for the good fortune of the region. The shrine consists of a central pillar, which is housed in a enclosing structure. This structure usually reflects the historical and cultural background of the province.

Each Shrine has great religious, social, and political importance, and are held in high regard by the local inhabitants. Before each shrine is a "prayer area", where locals and visitors can come by and make an offering to the shrine, ask for assistance, and seek good fortune in their lives, and the lives of their loved ones. Most Thai provinces have an official Shrine, and some districts within a province have their own, smaller shrine.

There are several different styles of lak mueang, however, they are normally located close to the centre of their city, the provincial capital, usually in or near the governmental precinct. There is a belief that the height of the pillar was the height of the founder of the city, and its diameter a multiple of his fist size. Some shrines contain historical records of the town, region, or the shrine itself.


The Shrine for the city of Maha Sarakham lies in the city centre. The Shrine is clearly of recent construction, however, the original building dates back to 1865 CE. It is built in the Thai style—square shaped, colourful, with a high, curving, peaked roof. Inside there is a single pillar, a little over a metre high, and a variety of Buddhist artefacts. I could not approach the shrine closely, due to a ceremony taking place at the time of my visit.

Open to visitors?: Yes Photography Permitted Inside?: Yes Statue of the Buddha present?: No Related Website: Not listed

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Photos of the shrine are strongly encouraged when permitted otherwise please refrain from taking pictures inside and in any case, generally have respect for the religious nature of the site.

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