Phon District Enshrines Buddha Image in New Central Tower
Phon Municipality consecrated a replica Buddha image at a new central tower on August 5, marking the district's 112th anniversary with a blessing ceremony led by the mayor and attended by large crowds of devotees in white.
On August 5, 2025, Kittiichote Trepwetchutgai, mayor of Phon Municipality, led residents and Buddhists from across Thailand in a blessing ceremony and consecration of a replica Buddha image of Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon, installed at the newly built Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon Tower at the central roundabout in Phon Municipality. Large crowds of residents dressed in white attended the celebration.
According to the mayor, the original Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon Buddha image was discovered in 1953 inside Sarachan Wasi Temple within Phon Municipality. It is a Mara Vijaya posture Buddha with a torso width of approximately one meter and remains enshrined at the temple. The original image is paraded around the district during Songkran each year so residents and devotees can pay respects and seek blessings. It is revered by people from Phon and nearby areas as well as Buddhists throughout the country daily. In 2025, marking the district's 112th anniversary, a replica image was created by inviting residents to write their names and family names on brass plates, which were then cast into the Buddha image. This represents a unity of faith and pure intention from the people of Phon, symbolizing collective harmony under Buddhism.
The municipal administration, council members, and community committees voted to convert the Phon town clock tower into the Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon Tower to allow residents and travelers passing through to pay respects and seek blessings. The mayor noted that Phon has been a strategically important location since ancient times, serving as a military base for generals under the reign of King Rama I. Buddhist faith and respect have been passed down through generations. The district has developed from a transit town into a rest town with full appeal, and today the community is working together to transform it into a dream city while preserving local traditions and customs.
The Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon Tower, located at the central roundabout, houses the replica Buddha image that was consecrated through sacred ceremonies including chanting, light displays, and a Buddhist blessing ritual. The image was then formally installed within the tower to serve as a spiritual center bringing auspiciousness, prosperity, and peace to the community and residents.
Believers hold that worshipping Phra Phuttha Mongkhon Ming Phon brings blessings, career advancement, peace, freedom from suffering and disease, and fortune to oneself and one's family. Visitors traveling through or visiting Phon District are invited to pay respects at the tower for auspiciousness and happiness, especially regarding career and education goals.
