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Wat Pho - Temple of Reclining Buddha
Located in the Phra Nakhon district in Bangkok is
the immensely popular and sacred Buddhist temple Wat
Pho. This temple is primarily famous for the statue
of the Reclining Buddha which is 46 meters in
length and 15 meters tall; and for its over 1000
fascinating images of Buddha which were found in the
ruins of the former capitals Ayutthaya and
Sukhothai, making it the largest collection in
Thailand.
The Wat Pho temple dates back to 200 years in
history and was built before the foundation of the
current capital Bangkok. Covering an area of over 20
acres of land, it is said to be the largest as well as
the oldest temple in Bangkok. It has few similarities
with the original structure since the temple was almost
totally rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to
Bangkok. This temple gives us a taste of ancient
Buddhist culture and serves as a forbearer for the
tradition of Buddhism. The august gathering of 1000
statues of Buddha in different yogic positions is
remarkable in its own.
Attractions
Most people visit Wat Pho in order to have a
glimpse of its main attraction, the statue of the
Reclining Buddha, said to be one of the largest
statue worldwide. It stands at 46 meters long and 15
meters high, beautifully gold plated, it illustrates the
transition of Buddha into the stage of nirvana. The
statue has mother-of-pearl engravings at the feet and
the eyes. The foot has another interesting feature: it
portrays 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha in Mother-of-pearls inlay,
representing all auspicious things in Buddhist cosmology such as heavens, deities, mythical animals and royal regalia. The
other attraction is the main chapel or Ubosot.
Originally constructed in the reign of King Rama I, the
Ubosot was considerably enlarged by King Rama III. The
structure is extended with a three-tiered roof down to
meet the colonnade around the building. Inside the
Ubosot houses an Ayutthaya-style bronze Buddha image,
the Phra Putthadevapatimakorn, in the attitude of
meditation. It contains Buddha relics and the ashes of
King Rama I.
The temple and its premises are replete with different
sizes and types of statues all over. Marble slabs with
inscriptions, chapels, rock gardens, bell-towers,
in-house library are some of the must-sees on a visit to
the temple. Visitors might get a taste of Thai culture,
if they visit the temple on Sundays when students are
taught dance and music in the temple itself.
Traditional Thai Massage
Wat Pho is cited as the seat of the traditional
Thai massage and is probably the best place available to
experience this unique way of relaxing your tired and
tense muscles. The temple offers various types of exotic
Thai massages for a pocket pinch of 150 to 350 Baht
depending on the duration of the massage. For those who
want to practice this technique have the possibility to
join a traditional Thai massage course. These are for 30
hours and cost 4,500 Baht. The courses can be spread
over either 10 or 15 days. Contact the massage center at
the back of the temple for more information.
Getting There
Take the
BTS Sky Train (Silom Line) to Saphan Taksin. Take
exit 1 and descend to Tha Sathon pier where you can take
the Chao Phraya River Express to Tha Tien. When getting
of the pier you can clearly see Wat Pho on your right.
Important Remarks
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