Camadevi

Long ago, there was a queen named Camadevi.

She was a very important leader. She ruled a land called Haripuñjaya.

She was a brave queen. She led her people in a war. She won the fight for her land.

Camadevi was also very kind. She built a temple for people who died in war. She wanted to honor them.

She helped her people for many years. Later, she spent her time helping her faith. She was a great queen.

Camadevi was a famous queen. She ruled a land called Haripuñjaya. This land is in Northern Thailand today.

Legends say she had a very busy life. Some stories say she was a daughter of a rich man. A giant bird once took her as a baby. A hermit named Sudeva found her. He raised her and taught her many things. He believed she would be a great ruler. He sent her on a raft to the Lavo Kingdom. The king and queen there gave her a new name. They made her a princess when she was 14.

Camadevi was also a brave leader. A ruler named Khun Luang Wilangka wanted to marry her. He was angry when the king said no. He started a war. Camadevi led her own army to fight. She won the war. She felt sad about the lives lost. She built a temple to honor those who died.

Later, she became the queen of Haripuñjaya. She did this to help her people. She also wanted to thank the hermit who raised her. She had two sons named Mahantayot and Anantayot. She ruled for many years. Later in life, she focused on Buddhism. People believe her bones are kept at Wat Camadevi.

Camadevi was a powerful queen from long ago. She was the first ruler of Haripuñjaya. This was an ancient Mon kingdom. It was located in what is now Northern Thailand. Today, this area is part of the Lamphun province. Many different stories tell us about her life. Some records show different dates for her birth and death. One record says she reigned for seven years starting in 662. Another researcher says she lived to be 92 years old. These stories help us see how important she was to history.

Legends tell a very special story about her childhood. One legend says she was the daughter of a man named Inta. He lived in a village called Nong Duu. When she was only three months old, a giant bird took her. The bird flew over a place called Doi Suthep. It gave the baby to a hermit named Sudeva. He raised her and gave her the name Vi. He taught her many things and she became well-educated. When she was thirteen, he sent her on a raft to the Lavo Kingdom. The king and queen there gave her the name Camadevi.

Camadevi was also a very brave leader during a hard time. When she was twenty, a marriage was planned for her. She was meant to marry a prince named Ramrat. However, a ruler named Khun Luang Wilangka wanted to marry her instead. He became angry when the king said no. This led to a war in the year 653. Camadevi did not hide from the fight. She led her own army to protect her people. She won the war with the help of nearby kingdoms. She felt sad about the lives lost in the battle. To honor them, she built a temple on that ground.

Around the year 659, Camadevi became the queen of Haripuñjaya. A hermit named Sudeva asked her to lead this new land. Some stories say she went because the people needed a leader. She also wanted to thank the hermit who raised her. She traveled for seven months by boat to reach the city. After she was crowned, she gave birth to two sons. Their names were Mahantayot and Anantayot. She ruled the kingdom for many years. When she turned sixty, she focused her life on Buddhism.

People still remember Camadevi today. Many believe her bones are kept at Wat Camadevi in Lamphun. They are held in a structure called the Suwan-Chang-Kot-Chedi. There is also a statue of her in the Lamphun province. This monument opened on October 2, 1982. It was opened by Vajiralongkorn. Her story connects the old kingdoms of Thailand to the world we know now. She remains a symbol of strength and kindness for many people.

Camadevi was the first monarch and queen of Haripuñjaya. This was an ancient Mon kingdom located in present-day Northern Thailand. Haripuñjaya existed before it was conquered by the Kingdom of Lan Na. Because much of her life is recorded in legends, historians find different details in various sources. For example, the Chinnakanmalipakon record states she reigned for seven years starting in 662. However, researcher Manit Wallipodom suggests she lived to be 92 years old. According to the Legend of Cāmadevivaṃsa, she was born in 633 and died in 731. These varying accounts show how deeply her legacy is woven into regional history.

Legends describe a very unusual childhood for the future queen. One myth claims she was a scion of the ruler of the Lavo Kingdom. Another story says she was the daughter of a wealthy man named Inta from Nong Duu village. In this version, a giant bird took the three-month-old baby and flew over Doi Suthep. The bird gave her to a hermit named Sudeva, who named her Vi. Sudeva raised her and provided a high level of education. When Vi was thirteen, Sudeva prophesied her great destiny. He sent her on a raft to the Lavo Kingdom to ensure her future success.

The Lavo Kingdom was a very prosperous place at that time. When the raft arrived, the King and Queen were greatly impressed by the girl. They gave her the name Camadevi and raised her in the royal court. A fortune-teller predicted she would become a powerful ruler and marry a great man. Because of these predictions, the rulers raised her status to Princess of Lavo. They even held a coronation ceremony for her when she was only 14 years old. This early training prepared her for the responsibilities of leadership.

Camadevi’s leadership was tested during a period of conflict involving marriage and war. When she turned 20, a marriage was arranged with Prince Ramrat of the Ramburi kingdom. However, Khun Luang Wilangka, the ruler of the Lawa people, also wanted to marry her. When the King of Lavo rejected his request, Wilangka started a war in 653. Camadevi chose to lead the army herself to defend her interests. She successfully gained allies from neighboring kingdoms to win the conflict. Though she was victorious, she felt sorrow for the lives lost in the fighting. She ordered a temple to be built on the battlefield to honor those who died.

Around 659, Camadevi transitioned to a new role in Haripuñjaya. Sudeva Ruesi had helped establish this new kingdom and asked her to lead it. Some versions of the story say Prince Ramrat had become an ordained monk, leaving her to lead alone. Camadevi accepted the offer to help citizens who were in trouble. She also wanted to repay Sudeva for raising her. The journey to Haripuñjaya took seven months by boat. She was already pregnant when she left Lavo. Just seven days after her coronation, she gave birth to two sons named Mahantayot and Anantayot.

Camadevi’s reign was long and marked by a shift in her personal focus. She ruled Haripuñjaya until 688, when Hanayos took over the leadership. At the age of 60, she stepped away from government duties. She chose instead to devote her life to preserving Buddhism. She eventually died in 731 at the age of 89. Following her death, Hanayos organized a funeral that lasted for seven days. Her remains were collected and placed in the Suwan-Chang-Kot-Chedi at Wat Camadevi in Lamphun. This site is still recognized as a place where her bones are contained.

Today, Camadevi is remembered through monuments and religious sites. A statue of her stands in the Naimueang Sub-district of Lamphun province. This monument is located near the Nongdork public garden and the city hall. It was officially opened on October 2, 1982, by Vajiralongkorn. Her life connects the history of the Mon people to the modern geography of Thailand. Her story remains a significant part of the cultural identity of the Lamphun region.