Situated in the middle of Bangkok cit,y the most famous Wat Pho, which is one of the six temples in Thailand that are of the highest grade of first class Royal temples. This is known as temple of Reclining Buddha. Since this is one of the top tourist destinations, it is advisable to visit early to avoid the crowd. We visited Bangkok in June. It was very hot and humid. It was monsoon season in Thailand. Luckily it was a sunny day with a clear sky and turned out to be a prefect day for the pictures.
All entrances of this temple's gates are guarded by a number of large Chinese statues, even within the complex. We walked around the temple complex admiring the Chinese and Thai architectures. Beautifully painted in multicolors expressing their religious significance.
When you come around the temple you will encounter the standing Buddha images in the cloister.
Wat Pho has one of the largest single Buddha images at 150 feet in length. The name Wat Pho refers the monastery of the Bohdi tree in Bodhi Gaya, India where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. The image of the reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations.[
The reclining Buddha is simply breath taking. The amazing feeling of taking the sight of the enormous golden figure of the " Enlightened One" cannot be explained with words. The chapel and Reclining Buddha were built by Rama III in 1832.
The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 m high and 4.5 m long, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are each divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified, such as flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers, and altar accessories. At the center of each foot is a circle representing a chakra or energy point.
Outside the Reclining Buddha altar you can see many small chides called Phara Chedi Rai. Seventy one of these chides were built by Rama III, each 5m in height. These 71 smaller chides contain the ashes of the royal family, and 20 slightly larger ones clustered in group of five contain the relics of Buddha.
This is definitely one of the sites that you don't want to miss out when you are travelling to Bangkok, Thailand. The details of Thai architecture itself alone will leave you speechless.
Comments