Somdej Toh wat Rakang

Somdej Toh or Archan Toh was born on 17th April in 1788 (B.E.2331) in a small village of Kamphaeng Phet Province of the Chakri Dynasty, He was born before his father became the King. Among devotees, he is addressed as Somdej Toh or Archan Toh,

Somdej Toh was ordained as a novice at 12. At 20, he was ordained as a monk under the Royal Patronage at Wat Praseeratanasa. (Wat Prakeo) in Bangkok. Later he refuged in Wat Rakang.

In 1864, Somdej Toh was given the proper name Phra Buddhacharn Toh Phromarangsi. Another contribution of Somdej Toh is the Chinabanchorn (Jinnabanchorn) Katha. which Somdej Toh received from an old scroll from Sri Lanka. Somdej Toh edited and rewrote it to improve the Katha scriptures from the original one making it easier to pray. The Katha is named “Chinabanchorn,” . Somdej Toh used this Katha for ceremony chanting, blessing, and meditation. Chinabanchorn Katha is known as the most powerful Katha of all and believed to be the supreme Buddhist spell because the words of this Katha invited the magic power of Lord Buddha, Somdej Phra Sammasam Buddhachao, other Deities, and Phra Arahants. Phra Somdej amulets generally are good for protecting the worshipper from avoidance of misfortune, accident, and disaster and dispelling black magic, evil spirits, and ghosts.

In 1867, Somdej Toh intended to create a tall standing Buddha statue holding an alms bowl at Wat Inn (known as Wat Intharawihan). When the Buddha statue was in process, Somdej Toh, who was personally inspecting the construction of the Buddha statue when the Buddha statue was under construction, used to sleep at the site tent under the foot of the Buddha statue. On the night of June 1871, when the figure was incomplete, Somdej Toh passed away at the foot of the Buddha statue. Somdej Toh left many precious things, such as the Buddha statues, temples, and 84,000 thousand Phra Somdej amulets. He also left behind the scripture text of Chinabanchorn Katha, which is beneficial to all (also known as The Grand Sutra Text). At present, more than 50 percent of devotees can chant this Katha.