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| 2980 Wat Pho |
Posted on 11.06.2015, 11.03.2017, 16.01.2020, 14.03.2021
Named after a monastery in
India where
Buddha is believed to have lived,
Wat Pho (known also as the
Temple of the Reclining Buddha), is a
Buddhist temple in
Phra Nakhon district,
Bangkok, directly adjacent to the
Grand Palace. Prior to the temple's founding, the site was a centre of education for traditional Thai medicine, and statues were created showing yoga positions. An enormous Buddha image from
Ayuthaya's
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was destroyed by the
Burmese in 1767; King
Rama I (1782-1809) incorporated its fragments to build a temple to enlarge and renovate the complex.
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| 3359 Inside Wat Pho |
The temple 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 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 image of
reclining Buddha
is 15m high and 43m long with his right arm supporting the head with
tight curls on two box-pillows of blue, richly encrusted with glass
mosaics.
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| 1650 Reclining Buddha of Wat Pho |
The complex, also known as the birthplace of traditional
Thai massage, was restored and extended in the reign of King
Rama III, and again in 1982. It consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east-west. The northern one is where the reclining Buddha and massage school are found, and the southern one (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).
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| 3465 Phra Mondop in Wat Pho |
The 3m high and 4.5m long foot of Buddha displays are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified like flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers and altar accessories. Over the statue is a seven tiered umbrella representing the authority of Thailand. There are 108 bronze bowls in the corridor indicating the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. People drop coins in these bowls as it is believed to bring good fortune, and to help the monks maintain the wat.
