Tales of Three Temples

Saturday, February 19, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand
Our first full day in Bangkok was Makha Bucha, a National Holiday that occurs on the full moon of the third lunar month. It marks the day on which the Buddha preached his first major sermon and gave the three principles of Buddhism. The day is marked by visits to the temple ending in the Vien Tien, or candlelight procession around the temple. Panu arranged for us to visit a large temple about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. The outer area of the Wat was filled with people selling flowers, incense and candles. After purchasing a package containing a lotus blossom, three sticks of incense and a small candle we walked up stairs to the Uposatha (Assembly Hall) where the monks were already leading the crowd in prayers. I joined the procession walking in three clockwise circles around the hall repeating the three principles—First cease from all evil, then do what is good, and finally cleanse one's mind. These may be principles of Buddhism, but they are certainly rules that we can try to follow. After completing my walk, I rang some of the temple bells and watched the monks lead more of the crowd in their own walk around the hall. We were quiet on the walk back to the hotel, either reflecting on the ceremony that we had just seen, or totally exhausted from our long day.

The next morning began with a visit to the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In 1782 after Rama I established Bangkok as the capital of Siam he built Wat Phra Kaeo to house the country’s most sacred Buddha image. Two years later he built the Grand Palace, the home of the royal family. In order to enter the temple complex, visitors must be appropriately dressed—long pants or a long skirt and covered shoulders and upper arms. The complex is amazing. There are giants guarding the gates, gilded stupas, over a ½ mile of magnificent murals illustrating the Hindu story,Ramayama, walls encrusted with Chinese porcelain or beautiful mosaics. The architecture incorporates elements from India and the Khmers, as well as traditional Thai forms. The highlight of the Wat is the Emerald Buddha in the Bot (ordination hall). The Buddha is jade not emerald and is just 26 inches tall. It is believed to have come from Sri Lanka and was located in Laos, and Chaing Rai before being brought to Bangkok by Rama 1. The Buddha is dressed in one of three outfits. He was still wearing his winter clothes, during our visit. Although no photography is permitted in the bot, by standing outside the middle door, and using my telephoto lens, I was able to get a good picture.      

The Royal Palace is actually a collection of several buildings most of which are not open to the public. Rama V (the son of Rama IV known from "The King and I") travelled to Europe and then built two buildings in the European neo-classical style. One of them is now used to house visiting dignitaries. Both Queen Elizabeth and Ronald Reagan stayed here. The Royal family no longer lives in the palace and the inner palace which was originally inhabited only by women, is now a school for girls from prominent families.

After visiting the Palace we were able to go to Wat Arun which we missed yesterday. This time we rode the public ferry and made the trip without incident. This temple was established by Taksin the Great, who ruled before Rama I, and reflects strong Khmer influence. Taksin was a successful warrior king who expanded Siam to its largest extent. However his success went to his head and he was ousted in a coup, and executed by being clubbed to death in a velvet sack so that royal blood would not touch the ground. The central prang is 266 feet tall and narrow, steep stairs lead up to a series of terraces that provide sweeping views of the river and the city.

I tried to upload photos and the system crashed. Maybe I'll have better luck later.

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Comments

marianne
2011-02-22

You are lucky to be there--we are getting blasted with a snow storm right now. I wish I was back on my cruise.

2025-02-08

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