Krung Thep (City of Angels), like the Thai name it, is full of fabulous temples (Wat). Here are photos from some of them. The Wat Phra Kaeo and Royal Palace deserve a special post...
"WAT TRAIMIT - An otherwise unremarkable temple, hides a 15-foot tall, five and a half tons, solid gold Buddha image - the world's largest. The Golden Buddha was cast in the 13th century and sometime later was covered in plaster, in an attempt to hide it from thieves. The disguise was so good that nobody noticed the gold. King Rama III had the statue moved to Bangkok and installed in a temple that was abandoned around 1931. The Golden Buddha was rediscovered when, preparing to move it to Wat Traimit in 1955, some of the plaster was broken, revealing the gold underneath"
"WAT PO - Just behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha stands Wat Phra Chetuphon, commonly known as Wat Po (from its original name of Wat Potaram). Founded in the 17th century, it is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. King Rama I, enlarged the temple in 1801, installed many statues recovered from Ayuthaya, and renamed it Wat Phra Chetuphon. Rama III made it Thailand's first university"
WAT PO RECLINING BUDDHA - Constructed by order of Rama III and measuring more than 45 meters, it is installed in a Wihan just barely big enough to hold it. Its feet have been inlaid with mother-of-pearl to display the 108 lakshanas, the auspicious signs which distinguish a true Buddha"
"WAT BENCHAMABOPIT, located opposite the Chitlada Palace, «the marble temple» is one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand. Though there has been a temple on the spot since Ayutthaya times, little is known about when it was consecrated. Its modern history begins in 1826"
"WAT ARUN - «Temple of the Dawn» - is probably the better known symbol of Bangkok (more than the Royal Palace). The towering prang was started by Rama II in the beginning of the 19th century, and completed by Rama III. The temple, however, is much older, dating from the Ayuthaya period. The prang has a unique design (a blend of Khmer and Thai styles) and is decorated with thousands of bits of Chinese porcelain and glazed ceramic tiles"
"WAT ARUN - In the middle of each side of the square formed by the smaller prangs are pavilions containing images depicting the four stages of the Buddha's life: birth, meditation, preaching and enlightenment"
2 comments:
Nice pics. Wat Traimit is also known as Temple of the Golden Buddha. WaT Traimit located in Bangkok. It is located at one of the end of Chinatown. In Wat Traimit statue of Buddha is a largest statute in the world, weight is Five thousand kilograms and height is 15 feet.
Temple,
Amazing! never saw a temple talking... ;)
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