Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the official name Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram, the temple of the king in the old royal palace in Bangkok.
The buildings south of the Upper Terrace
The Chapel of the Emerald Buddha (Thai: Phra Ubosot) – this is the main attraction, is home to the Emerald Buddha.
- The Emerald Buddha sits on a gilded throne, which was already produced during the reign of King Phuttayodfa Chulaloke (Rama I). King Nang Klao (Rama III.) Adding under the throne of an additional base so that the Emerald Buddha now sits in the airy height of 11 meters.
- It is surrounded by ten crowned Buddha statues in the hand position, “the ocean sojourning. They were devoted members of the Chakri Dynasty, the first to third reign.
- Before the Emerald Buddha is located in Phra Samputtha Panni, create a Buddha statue of King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1830 in an unusual style.
- The throne is flanked by two about 3 meters high standing Buddha figures. They were used by King Rama III. In 1841, created the first two kings of the Chakri Dynasty paid. They also have the hand holding the ocean sojourning (in Thai: Ham Samut), they are gilded and decorated with precious stones. The figure, which stands north of the Emerald Buddha, was named Phra Puttha Yodfa Chulaloke, the southern Phra Puttha Loetla Napalai. The king thereupon adopted that King Rama I should henceforth bear the official name of the northern statue, and King Puttha Loetla Napalai (Rama II) the name of the Southern character.
- The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with excellent wall paintings showing scenes from the life of the Buddha. On the east wall, for example, the temptation of the Buddha is depicted, and how he, with the help of the goddess Mae Thoranee demons drowned in magic waters. The west wall shows the Buddhist world view, the “Three Worlds” (Traiphum), with Mount Meru at the center.
- The high doors with precious mother of pearl inlays were also made in the reign of Rama I in a style that was common in the ancient capital of the kingdom of Ayutthaya.
- The six inputs to be Ubosot of six pairs of bronze lions in the “Khmer Bayon-style guard. The first pair was taken at the behest of King Rama I of Angkor (Cambodia) to Bangkok; the others were copied from this template.
- The Phra Ubosot is surrounded by a low wall, the jewel of the wall (Kampheng Kaeo), in the small turret for the 8 Bai Sema (incorporating landmarks).
- Outside the walls are located at regular intervals 12 Sala Rai, airy, open pavilions for resting, which were created as early as the reign of King Rama I.
- At one short side of the Southern Bell tower, a bell tower.
The Upper Terrace with 4 main monuments
Phra Sri Rattana Chedi – The Golden Chedi is a shrine, it should contain a fragment from the breastbone of the Buddha. It was created after the model of the three Chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya.
- Pra Mondop (a repository for sacred writings Palm). Originally, there was at this point a Hor Trai (Library Building) in the Ayutthaya style, which stood for protection against ants in a small pond. Even during the reign of King Rama I, this building was replaced by today’s Mondop.
- Prasart Phra Thepbidorn – Royal Pantheon, with life-size statues of the former ruler of the Chakri dynasty.
- Miniature model of Angkor Wat, commissioned by King Mongkut, but only finished the 100-year anniversary in 1882.
- Two gold Chedis flanking the eastern stairway to the terrace. They were built by King Rama I in honor of his father and his mother. For the 100-year celebrations in 1882 were the caryatids added (see photo). Although they have the appearance of demons, but carry a Thai crown. They are inspired by characters from the drama Ramakien.
- Also on the 100-year celebration of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) had two p.m. statues of mythological beings after models from the time of Rama III. These creatures inhabit, according to ancient belief the Himaphan Forest (“Snow Forest”), located on the slopes of the mythological Mount Meru, the center of the world. Beyond these figures, many other gold-plated replicas of mythical animals on the premises of the temple can be found.
On the four sides of the library four monuments of the Royal Regalia (Phra Borom Ratchasanyarak), the symbols of the kings of the Chakri dynasty are included. The first, three monuments were commissioned by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to the first centenary of Bangkok in 1883 in order. The fourth in the northeast of the library was built on behalf of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to the 200-year anniversary of Bangkok. The monuments stand on a rectangular marble plinth to remind inscriptions on the sides of the respective kings. Only two monuments containing the symbols for a single king (Rama IV in the southeast, southwest of King Rama V), are in the other at the various sites to see the icons of various kings. Around the monuments are numerous bronze sculptures of elephants, which represent the white elephants of the Thai kings.
Outbuildings (to the north beneath the Upper Terrace)
- Hor Phra Nak today is the mausoleum of the royal family. It was originally built to the Phra Nak, home to a Buddha statue, which was saved from the ancient capital Ayutthaya. Nak is the Thai name for an alloy of gold and copper.
- Viharn Yod – this is now the Viharn Phra Nak accommodated.
- Hor Phra Dharma Monthiers (Manuscript Library)
East of the Upper Terrace
King Rama I ordered to build east of Ubosot eight prangs. They were each given an important element of Buddhism. And) while (from north to south: the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Buddhist teachings (), the Sangha (the community of monks), the Bhikkhunis () Buddhist nuns, the Pacceka Buddha (Buddha attained enlightenment, although the but not preaching the Dhamma – see Theravada), the Chakravartin (universal ruler of the world, according to Buddhist rules prevail), the Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Buddha (Thai: Metteya) the future Buddha.
The Phra Rabieng
The galleries (Phra Rabieng) surrounded, like a cloister, the entire temple area. On the walls of the Ramakien is shown, the great Hindu epic of the hero god Rama and his victory over evil. The story is told on a total of 178 fields in numerous individual episodes. By King Chulalongkorn worked on this epic poems are written on marble tablets, which were set into the abutment against the respective images. Although the murals have been restored so far only four times (last 1982), they are still an example of classical Thai painting. Warning: The story begins not at the entrance, where the tourists enter the temple, but near the northern entrance to the Yot Viharn.
History
As embarrassed Chao Phraya Chakri, the future king Phuttayodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) the new Siamese capital for strategic reasons on the eastern side of the Chao Phraya wanted, there were already more than 100 years, the temple of Wat Potharam today (Wat Phra Jetuphon, Wat Pho) and north of Wat Salak today (Wat Mahathat). The terrain in between was very swampy and only had to be drained. The inhabitants, a settlement by the Chinese merchants were “asked” its operations in the so-called “gardens” in front of the city (today’s “Sampheng”) to install.
On Sunday, the tenth day of the waxing moon in the year of tiger, the fourth year of the decade Chunlasakarat 1144, then in 2325 the Buddhist era, in the morning at 6:54 clock was a ceremony of the “foundation stone” (setting the city pillar, Thai: Lak Muang, opposite the Grand Palace) performed. After the founding of the Grand Palace Rama I was on 10 June 2325 in a royal ceremony officially crowned. (Quote from a memorial stone in front of City Hall in Bangkok).
King Phuttayodfa built Chulaloke in the eastern part of his new palace, a temple of the Emerald Buddha. He called this temple “Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram”, in German as “(The temple of the holy jewel of God), Indra,” by the locals, he is now called just “Wat Phra Kaew”, or “Temple of the Emerald Buddha”. In a solemn ceremony of the Emerald Buddha was on 22 Taken in March 1784 from Thonburi in his new temple, where he can still be admired today.
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