Phra Mae Thorani

Lore & Background

According to Buddhist myths, Phra Mae Thorani is personified as a young woman wringing the cool waters of detachment out of her hair to drown Mara, the demon sent to tempt Gautama Buddha as he meditated under the Bodhi Tree. The earliest known images of her wringing her hair appear in Cambodia in about the twelfth century. In the story, the Bodhisattva stretched down his right hand and touched the earth, summoning her to be his witness. The earth deity rose up from underneath the throne, twisted her long hair, and torrents of water collected there from the innumerable donative libations of the Buddha over the ages created a flood that washed away Mara and his army.

In temple murals, Phra Mae Thorani is often depicted with the Buddha in the mudra known as calling the earth to witness. The waters flowing forth from her long hair symbolize the water of the bodhisattva's perfection of generosity (dāna paramī). In the iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand, the 'touching the earth' mudra (Maravijaya Attitude) refers to the Buddha pointing towards the earth to summon the Earth Goddess to witness his past good deeds.

Reader's Guide

Phra Mae Thorani holds a central role in the Buddhist practice of merit-making across Southeast Asia. In Burma, the water ceremony (yay zet cha) involves pouring water from a glass into a vase while reciting a confession of faith, and the earth goddess is invoked to witness these meritorious deeds. The libated water is then poured on soil outside to return it to the goddess. This ritual underscores her function as a witness to human virtue and a conduit for sharing merit with all beings.

Her significance has evolved in modern Thailand. According to ML Pattaratorn Chirapravati, Phra Mae Thorani is now venerated not only as the goddess who defeated Māra, but also for good fortune, and as a symbol of fertility, peace and happiness, with a belief that she can wash away sickness. Freestanding images of her now stand outside temple halls as well as within them. She is featured in the logos of the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority and Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand, and of the Democrat Party (Thailand), emphasizing the importance of earth and water. A freestanding image of the goddess was made for a public drinking-water shrine in Bangkok at the wish of Queen Saovabha Phongsri, opening on 27 December 1917, which served as a model for many later images in Thailand.

Did You Know?

• The earliest known images of Phra Mae Thorani wringing her hair appear in Cambodia in about the twelfth century.
• In the Pali Canon, she is categorized as a 'Bhummatthika Devata' meaning 'Earth Dwelling Deva'.
• Phra Mae Thorani is featured in the logo of the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority of Thailand.