There are a number of reasons to visit the city of Bangkok: exploring the city via its numerous waterways, the nearby pristine beaches, and the tasty cuisine of Thailand. However, no vacation to the city would be complete without visiting some of the many Buddhist temples. Traveling to Bangkok by air is easier than ever before, as most of the major airlines now offer flights to Bangkok at some very affordable prices. Here are our recommendations for the 5 Buddhist temples that you want to include on your trip to Bangkok:Wat Phra Kaew
Known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, What Phra Kaew is Thailand’s most important Buddhist temple. It is situated within the grounds of Bangkok’s Grand Palace in the historic centre of Thailand’s capital city. Phra Kaew Morakot, the highly revered Buddha, is enshrined here, and his image was carved meticulously from a large, single block of jade. The statue is mounted upon a series of platforms and only His Majesty the King is allowed near it.
Wat Arun
The locals call this temple Wat Chaeng, which translates as “the Temple of Dawn”, and is located on the Chao Phraya River’s western bank. According to Thai history, King Taksin and his army fought their way to safety from Ayutthaya and arrived at Wat Arun as the sun was rising in the east. Sometime later, the king renamed the temple Wat Chaeng after he had it renovated.
Wat Pho
Located behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (see Wat Phra Kaew above) is Wat Pho, or as the locals call it: “Wat Phra Chetuphon”, which in English means “the Temple of the Reclining Buddha”. It is Bangkok’s largest temple and is known for its huge, reclining effigy of Buddha covered in gold leaf. The statue measures 46 metres in length, and the 3-metre long feet of him are adorned in exquisite Mother of Pearl illustrations of the Buddha’s characteristics.
Wat Traimit
The largest seated golden Buddha (nearly 5 metres tall and weighing 5.5 tons) is housed within the Temple of the Golden Buddha, or Wat Traimit. It is located near Hualampong Railway Station at the end of Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown section. Artisans of the past used to disguise the golden Buddhas in plaster and stucco, in order to hide their golden composition from invading forces. This particular Buddha was also encased, but in 1955 monks inadvertently dropped the statue, prompting the gold body underneath to be discovered purely by accident.
Wat Mahathat
The current headquarters of the largest monastic order in Thailand, and the centre for Vipassana Meditation, the Wat Mahathat temple is an important centre for Buddhist studies. The temple was originally constructed in order to house an important relic of Buddha, and is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples. Although many of the study programs are in Thai, a few are also conducted in English. In addition to the Buddhist classes that take place here, people also visit the temple to have their fortune told.
Bankok, Really a nice place for travel. I like to travel there. So, I will travel there and write something in my blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat post ,i agree because walking tour of bangkok may be many reasons but one of them is Buddhist temples ...i really like that information ........
ReplyDeletePostes this to my blog also. Greetings from the Speedy DNS
ReplyDelete