Foundation Stone Laid for Lampang Religious College Temple
On 3 October 2026, the Supreme Patriarch’s representative presided over the foundation‑stone laying of Wat Charoen Wannaram in Lampang, a temple built to support the new Lampang Religious College. The Sirivadhanabhakdi Foundation donated eight rai of land for the project, which aims to expand Buddhist higher education in northern Thailand. Officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the university attended, noting the initiative ties into celebrations for the Supreme Patriarch’s upcoming 100th birthday.
The ceremony also marked the donation of eight rai and twenty square wah of land by the Sirivadhanabhakdi Foundation, located adjacent to the planned college site in Tambon Phichai, Mueang District, Lampang, for the construction of the temple. His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch bestowed the name “Wat Charoen Wannaram” upon the new monastery, intended as a place of worship and a support base for the formation of future monastics.
Wat Charoen Wannaram will provide residence and facilities for monks and novices, facilitating their study and observance of the monastic discipline, and will serve as a spiritual centre for local Buddhists to participate in religious activities and study the Dharma. For secondary‑level education, the temple will accommodate the ordination and lodging of novices studying the Pali and general curricula from grades 7 to 12, combined with moral training and monastic discipline, laying a foundation for further tertiary education and the perpetuation of Buddhism.
Later, Somdet Mahawirong, together with Chatcchai Bangchud and their entourage, visited the site to learn about the plans for establishing Lampang Religious College at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, a project launched in honour of the Supreme Patriarch’s forthcoming 100th birthday on 26 June 2027. The government has pledged its support to ensure the project proceeds smoothly and fulfils its aims of advancing monastic education, nurturing future monastics, and sustaining Buddhism in Thailand.
