Temple of The Reclining Buddha, The place of the longest and most beautiful reclining buddha
Beside Temple of the Emerald Buddha, another highlight of Bangkok that tourists are not allowed to miss is Temple of the Reclining Buddha or Wat Pho. Photaram was the original name of this temple. The founding history of this temple was still unclear but it assumed that it might be built in the late Ayuddhaya period around 18 century.
Later, there was the order from King Rama I to renovate this temple and become private temple dedicated to his reign. In the period of King Rama III, he announced the major renovation of Wat Pho and the temple become the centre of Thai traditional knowledge such as Thai traditional medicine, history of temple, poems and etc. Therefore, Wat Pho is known as the first open university of Thailand where people could visit for learning. Moreover, tourists will find that there are many highlight in Wat Pho that will be mentioned next.
Reclining Buddha or Phra Buddhasaiyas , the third longest Buddha image in Thailand but recognized as the most beautiful one in Thailand, built in the King Rama III period in the major renovation. The statue is 46 metres long with the dimension at the face at 15 metres high and there is the symbol of Buddhist auspicious sign at his feet decorated by mother-of-pearl inlaid design.
The Grand Stupa of Four Kings, they are stupa for of King Rama I(green), II(white), III(yellow) and IV(blue). All of them decorated by colourful mosaic.King Rama I built the green one to kept the ruin of one of the ancient sacred Buddha statue from Ayuddhaya period. The white and yellow one was built by King Rama III and the white one is dedicated to his father, King Rama II. The blue one is constructed by King Rama IV.These stupas represented that King Rama I to IV were in the same generation.They saw each other.
Furthermore, Temple of the Reclining Buddha has the most number of stupa in Bangkok, around 100 stupa.Those surrounding stupa was built by King Rama III. You will find that there are stupa in everywhere inside the temple compound.
Wat Pho inscription, this temple was known as the first open university in Thailand due to many stone scriptures of traditional medicine, politics, history knowledge and poems. King Rama III ordered to collect all the knowledge of Thai philosophers in each branch to be kept in Wat Pho by sculpting the stone slap attached on the temple pavilion wall. All the story on the wall have been registered by UNESCO to be the memo of the world.
The original Thai massage, King Rama III initiated to create statues of the hermit priest to demonstrate all the figure adjustment for physiological therapy. The hermit priest has been respected to be the master of all knowledge by Thai. People have had chance to study this kind of theraphy and then become famous Thai massage, popular all over the world. Massage service and instruction course are provided here.
Lokanatra Sartsadajarn Buddha Statue, was built in the mid Ayuddhaya period around 15 century and enshrined in Wat Phrasi Sanphet, the main temple in Ayuddhaya period. King Rama I brought the statue to Bangkok to be the principle Buddha in the east chamber of the temple.
Devapratimakorn Buddha, there is no record of the creation of this spectacular Buddha, but it assumed from the sculpture characteristics that it might be built in the late sukhothai period around 13 century. In the record of the temple founding, King Rama I brought this image from Kuhasawan temple to be the principle Buddha of Wat Pho.
Moreover, inside the temple, you will also see the Chinese stone statue, originally was the ballast in trading ships between Thailand and China, them become the temple offering and decoration.The statue were in many forms such as Chinese mandarins, warriors, westerners, god and goddess and also animals.Some of them were selected to be the door guardian.
By the last, if you walk along the inner wall, you will see a Hundred of Buddha images along the wall.
Wat Pho is the amazing place. It is much more than the temple. It is the pride of Thai people where many Thai legacies and wisdom has been reserved.
Opening 8.00 – 17.00
Ticket 50 Baht
