Wats and Wandering

April 01, 2018

Wats and Wandering

Bangkok, March 26th ~ Bangkok's wats are a unique part of the capital's heart and soul; an estimated 80% of Thailand's population practices Buddhists. More than 400 wats offer temples both grand and modest, in which to worship. Some are small, located down tiny side streets, others massive complexed filled with halls, schools and revered statues.

Monks live in the temple complexes, arising around 4:00am to attend to prayers and duties before venturing out into the streets--saffron-colored robes catching the early morning light--to collect food and necessities from ordinary people on the streets. This daily alms ritual, called "tak-baht," takes place throughout Thailand and is part of the Buddhist philosophy of giving and making merrit to attain a better life beyond this one. We were blessed to chat with a monk, a conversation he allowed me to record, at one of the wats.

The three most famous temples are Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn), Wat Pho (home of Thailand's massive reclining Buddha), and Wat Pra Kaew, which is situated on the grounds of the legendary Grand Palace. Known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pra Kaew enshrines one of the country's most revered Buddha statues carved from a single block of jade, first discovered in Chiang Rai in 1464 and later moved to Chiang Mia before settling in Bangkok.

The architecture is awe-inspiring and the glittering decorative detail like no other image. Thousands of pieces of vibrantly colored glass and pottery adorn intricate structures gilded in glaring gold. Here, a few photos that don't begin to capture the wats' grandeur, opulence or spiritual sanctity.

The Grand Palace

One of many beautiful stone carvings.

Grand Palace detail.

Incredibly detailed, gold-leaf mural paintings depicting 178 scenes of the epic story of Ramayana depict the traditional life story of the Buddha and proverbs.

Adjacent to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, home to Thailand’s largedst reclining Buddha statue. The soles of the 150+ foot, gold-leave covered statue’s feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl depicting the 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha. Capturing the Buddha in its entirety in a single photo proved impossible.