| Official Name: | Ban Grong Greng |
| Other Name: | (English: Village of the Dreaded Gong) |
| Native Name: | บ้านโกรงเกรง |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Thailand |
| Subdivision Type3: | Subdistrict |
| Subdivision Name3: | Nakhon Pa Mak |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Bang Krathum District |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Phitsanulok |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Thailand |
| Area Total Km2: | 20.9 |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Agricultural use |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 14.1 |
| Population As Of: | 2005 |
| Population Total: | 1,881 |
| Population Density Km2: | 90 |
| Timezone: | ICT |
| Utc Offset: | +7 |
| Coordinates: | 16.6083°N 100.375°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 65110 |
| Blank Name: | Chief watercourse |
| Blank Info: | Canal to Ban Sam Ruen |
Ban Grong Greng (Thai: บ้านโกรงเกรง) is a rural village in the north-west portion of the Nakhon Pa Mak Subdistrict of Bang Krathum District of Phitsanulok Province, Thailand.
The first element of its name is ban (Thai: บ้าน) means 'village'.[1] The second element, grong (Thai: โกรง) is an onomatopoeia for the sound of a gong, analogous to the word 'gong' in English. The third element, greng (Thai: เกรง), means 'dread'.[1] Loosely translated, Ban Grong Greng means 'village of the dreaded gong'. This is because a gong is beaten during funeral processions at the village's temple in accordance with the local custom. The name Grong Greng is an example of an alliteration.
Ban Grong Greng is near the center of Nakhon Pa Mak on a canal which meets the Wang Thong River at Ban Sam Ruen. This canal comes to a fork at Ban Grong Greng where another canal leads to Ban Dongphayom and beyond.[2] Ban Grong Greng lies in the Nan Basin, which is part of the Chao Phraya Watershed. Ban Grong Greng has the greatest population of the eight villages in Nakhon Pa Mak, and it encompasses the largest area as well.
Wat Grung See Jayrin (Thai: วัดกรุงศรีเจริญ), which means 'temple of the city of renowned progress', is more commonly referred to simply as Wat Grong Greng (Thai: วัดโกรงเกรง).[3] This Theravada Buddhist temple is where villagers of Ban Grong Greng and surrounding villages hold their funeral ceremonies. Funerals at Wat Grong Greng involve a procession around the temple, chanting, meditation, and cremation of the deceased's body. Prior to a funeral at Grong Greng, families typically hold a wake in the deceased's home where family, friends and neighbors can pay their respects to the deceased. Items brought to the wake, such as flower arrangements, photographs of the deceased, and mementos from the deceased's life are carried in the funeral procession. Black clothing is customarily worn by those in mourning, if available. Religious activities and ceremonies other than funerals are typically held at nearby Wat Sam Ruen in Ban Sam Ruen.
The style of the chedi at Wat Grung See Jayrin is influenced by earlier Thai pagodas, such as those found in the ruins of Ayutthaya. This style was imported from Sri Lanka during the rule of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great along with Theravada Buddhism. Later, King Ramathibodi I went on to make Theravada Buddhism the official religion of the kingdom of Ayutthaya.[4]
The ceremonial funeral chants at Wat Grong Greng are in Pali, the language of prayer of the Ceylonese Buddhist monastic community,[5] members of which Ramkhamhaeng imported from Sri Lanka to teach Theravada Buddhism to his subjects in Thailand.[6] Similar architecture can be found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.[7]
Wat Grung See Jayrin School, at Wat Grung See Jayrin, is one of Nakhon Pa Mak's four elementary schools.
A Wat Grong Greng is mentioned in a work entitled เรื่องจริงอิงนิทาน เล่ม 1 (which loosely translates to first book of traditionally passed down stories) by Rasilingdam (Thai: ฤาษีลิงดำ).[8]