Wat Phra Kaew "Temple of The Emerald Buddha" ( The Grand Palace of Thailand )
With some of the most sacred and amazing antiques to be found here at Wat Phra Kaew, or internationally referred to as 'Temple of The Emerald Buddha', the temple serves as one of the most attractive tourist spots in Thailand. Located in the Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok, it is indeed a historical site with traces of the Thai history dating back to many centuries before some of us were born. Furthermore, the temple is located within the precincts of the Grand Palace.
History
There are several guesses and theories upon the history of the Phra Kaew Morakhot or the Emerald Buddha which is believed to have its beginning in India while some other theories believed the original figure came all the way from Cambodia and ended up in Thailand after the attack of the Burmese in Ayutthaya. Although there are numerous histories and theories behind the sacred figure of the green, Emerald Buddha, one thing for sure, is that the entire figure is brought here for the people to see and worship since then until the present.
Architecture
The
sacred temple within the precincts of Thailand's grand palace is no other than
the Wat Phra Kaew with hundreds of sacred buildings and 200 years of royal
history and architectural experimentation done within the walls. The temple
itself is decorated and styled as the Rattanakhosin Style or commonly known as
the old Bangkok style. The grand entrance and buildings were decorated with
vintage styled bricks, copper plates, gold, and paintings that were once
refurbished and modified numerous times by different Thai kings as centuries
passed by.
The major construction
and overall architecture of the Temple of Emerald Buddha started and began when
King Rama I moved the capital city of Thailand from Thonburi to Bangkok in the
year 1785. The temple mainly displays holy buildings, statues, and pagodas. The
main building is known as the central 'Ubosot' or commonly known as the
Ordination Hall which houses the Emerald Buddha. The main entrance is guided by
the mythical giants in the form of statues. The entire, complete complexion of
the architecture, including the temples and the buildings, are all bound by the
painted compound walls. The walls are all painted and displayed with murals
based upon the Ramayana, one of the famous epics of Thai's literature.
Tourist Attractions
As
one of the most important temples in the history of Thailand, Temple of The
Emerald Buddha carries along heavy histories of past centuries and the
experiences of battles and peace. Now as one of the top sacred historical sites
in Bangkok, tourists from all over the world discover true beauty and get a
once-in-a-life-time chance to worship and pay respect to one of the world's
sacred places. Carrying important historical events, the temple itself is a
perfect representation and a place where most Buddhist traces are to be found
and discovered. Although there are a plenty of areas, buildings, temples, and
monuments within the entire temple itself, the two main attractions are the
Mural Compound Walls and the Emerald Buddha.
The Mural Compound Walls
The
mural compound walls that bound the buildings and temples were painted with the
well known Ramayana story in Thai's literature. The detailed scenes from the
Ramayana stories of the Thai literature were painted on the compound walls
surrounding the Temple of The Emerald Buddha. The extensive mural paintings
depict the famous scenes with perfect details, colors, and morals to the entire
painting running from a temple's compound to another, continuously. The beauty
of the paintings stretching from one side to the other runs the entire story
and depicts the famous scenes within the popular Thai epic. As Ramayana is also
known to have historical roots from India, the Thai Ramayana seems mostly
attractive to many tourists and international visitors for the unique, yet
professional artistic paintings.
As
tourists often come with personal cameras and electronic devices to keep photos
and pictures of the temple, it is suggested to always pay respect by wearing
neat and clean attire at all times. As paintings are not only important, but as
well the representation of the Temple of Emerald Buddha, paying deep and
sincere respect through understanding and a short period of quiet mental
meditation will keep the mind in its peaceful state.
The Emerald Buddha
Along
with numerous possible theories found, the Emerald Buddha is now located within
the Ubosot or the Ordination Hall of the temple. Indeed the most important
attraction spot of the entire temple, it is a place where most crowds meet. The
figurine features a meditating Buddha seated in the Yogic posture made up of
green Jasper and is in a golden clothing. The figure is around 30 inches tall,
decorated and dressed elegantly. The golden clothing is to be changed three
times a year according to the changing seasons. The summer season features the
crown and jewelries, the gilt robe and headdress for rainy season, and the
golden shawn for winter. The King's presence is very important every three
times each year to do the changing of the clothes.
