Wat Pho Bangkok

Name: Wat Pho
Item: Wat Pho
Author: We Love Bangkok

Wat Pho Bangkok – more commonly known as the Temple of Reclining Buddha, is the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage. Even prior to the temple’s founding, the site was a centre of education for traditional Thai medicine. Statues were created showing yoga positions to execrate the feeling of healing and relaxation within the grounds. Wat Pho is the largest and oldest temple in the city of Bangkok.

It is home to more Buddha images than any other Bangkok temple. It also shelters the largest Buddha in Thailand; the Reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas). Created as part of Rama III’s restoration (1824-51), the Reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. His body is covered in gold plating and he is decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay on his eyes and the soles of his feet. The bottom of the Buddha’s feet are intricately decorated with 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles.

Importance

Wat Pho Bangkok, the official name being Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn, is a first grade royal monastery, regarded as the most important one during the reign of King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty. The importance of this is due to the King having managed the restoration of Wat Phodharam, an old monastery from the Ayudhya period, and had it re-established as a the royal monastery located near the Grand Palace. Some ashes of King Rama I were also kept under the pedestal of the principal Buddha image known as Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn in the main chapel.

It is said in a stone inscription that, after moving to the Grand Palace, King Phra Buddha Yod Fa The Great (King Rama I) recognised that there were 2 old temples along both sides of the Grand Palace: Wat Salak (Wat Mahatart) in the north, and Wat Phodharam in the south. He ordered his noblemen from the department of the Ten Crafts to restore Wat Phodharam in 1788. This first restoration took 7 years 5 months and 28 days. Then there was a celebration in 1801 and the Royal named it “Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklavas”, which was changed to “Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm” during the reign of King Rama IV.

Restoration

The great restoration, having taken 16 years and 7 months, was done during the reign of King Rama III, by extending both the South Vihara and West Vihara where the large reclining Buddha image is kept, the Missakawan Park, Phra Mondob (Library Hall) and teaching-learning hall as they are of today. Although there was another restoration before the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration in 1982, no more other major work has been done on the monastery, except for some minor repairs.

Complexes

The complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east–west. The northern walled compound is where the Temple of Reclining Buddha and massage school are found. The southern walled compound, Tukgawee, is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school. Outside the temple, the grounds contain 91 chedis (stupas or mounds), four viharas (halls) and a bot (central shrine). 71 chedis of smaller size contains the ashes of the royal family, and 21 large ones contain the ashes of Buddha. The four chedis are dedicated to the four Chakri kings.

Wat Pho Bangkok has sixteen gates around the complex guarded by Chinese giants carved out of rocks. These statues were originally imported as ballast on ship trading with China. The outer cloister of the Temple of Reclining Buddha has images of 400 Buddhas out of the 1200 originally bought by King Rama V. In terms of architecture, these are varied in different styles and postures, but these are evenly mounted on matching gilded pedestals. The main temple is raised in marble platform punctuated by mythological lions in the gateways. The exterior balustrade has around 150 depictions of the epic, Ramakien, the ultimate message of which is transience from secular to spiritual dimensions.

Wat Pho

Login