Maha Sarakham
Geography
The province is mostly a plain covered with rice fields, only in the north and east are small hills. The province is between 130 and 230 m above sea level. The main river in the province is the river Chi.
History
Maha Sarakham was originally a satellite town of Roi Et founded in 1865. The governor of Roi Et sent 9,000 people to populate the new town, and one of his cousins as its governor. In 1868 the central government in Bangkok declared Maha Sarakham a province of its own under the supervision of Bangkok; one of the reasons was that this step weakened the power of Roi Et.
Symbols
The provincial seal shows a big tree in front of big rice fields, symbolizing the richness of resources in the province.
The province’s flag shows the seal in the middle, in a brown horizontal strip. Above and below is a yellow strip. The brown color symbolizes the strength and the perseverance of the people in the province, who live in the rather dry climate; the yellow color as the color of the robes of Buddhist monks symbolizes the faith of the people.
The provincial tree is the Woman’s-tongue Tree (Albizia lebbeck). The tree symbol was assigned to the province in 1994 by Queen Sirikit. Provincial flower is the West Indian Jasmine (Plumeria alba).
Maha Sarakham
Maha Sarakham is located in the heart of Isan, Thailand’s Northeast Region. With lots of educational institutes, the province is a significant educational center in the region, earning it the nickname “Taxila of Isan” (Taxila was an ancient learning center in India). Maha Sarakham is also the Buddhist center of Isan, as many Buddhist archeological artifacts were found here, including a Relic of Lord Buddha in Amphoe Na Dun. Such evidence leads to the theory that the site was once the location of an ancient kingdom dating back over 1,500 years. A pagoda was built in Maha Sarakham to mark the glory days of Buddhism and to serve as venue for important Buddhist rites in the region.
Maha Sarakham is a small province in the Northeast of Thailand. In addition to being a rather lively college town, Maha Sarakham is famous for its historical sites, beautiful Buddhist temples and Buddha images, and exquisite woven materials, including hand made silk and cotton fabrics. Otherwise the people of Maha Sarakham are primarily engaged in agriculture, the mainstay of the province’s economy.
