Centenary of Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, who was born on 3 October 1913 in Kanchanaburi

This Buddhist monk was born on 3 October 1913 in Kanchanaburi Province, with the name given at birth being Charoen Khotchawat .  Though born a 4 AM, in the modern calendar, his date of birth would be October 4th. He ordained as a Buddhist novice, at the age of 14 and eventually became a monk in 1933. After completing his basic studies, he continued to study Pali, the language derived from Vedic Sanskrit and used in the sacred texts of Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism, in which he accomplished the highest levels of study then available. Following his ordination, Phra Yannasangwon rose through the ranks of the Thai Sangha and in 1956, at the age of 43, he was appointed guardian and religious advisor to King Bhumiphon. In 1961, he became abbot of Wat Bowonniwet Wihaan Racha, the temple in which many Thai princes have ordained. In 1972, he was given the title Somdet Phra and in 1989 he was appointed Supreme Patriarch. On 24 October 2013, just 3 weeks after his centenary, Phra Yannasangwon passed away at the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, where for the latter years of his life the aging Patriarch was cared for since his health deteriorated in 2005. He was the longest serving Supreme Patriarch up-to-date.