Travel is not only about going to certain popular places to see, click few pictures and head towards another touristy place. Wat Pho is a religious as well as touristy place, but it has it's own character which offers a unique experience. This experience has it's own cost to pay, but all worth. This blogpost shares more about Bangkok's Wat Pho, it's popular reclining Buddha, and at times some very special experiences which exposes you to real Thai culture & faith. Let's check out this blogpost from Thailand about this wonderful temple with a huge Reclining Buddha.
Wat Pho is also spelled like Wat Po and it's located around some of the other important locations of Bangkok city in Thailand. Wat Pho is quite popular amongst local as well as tourists visiting from other parts of the world. Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand.
How to reach Wat Pho from different parts of Bangkok City ?
Wat Pho is very well connected from multiple parts of Bangkok and one can opt for boat, bus or taxi to reach Wat Pho. Wat Pho is very close to a big bus junction from where buses start for various parts of the city. When we visited Wat Pho, we took bus and while going back we took Bus to Bangkok Central.
Entry ticket fees of Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand?
Entry ticket for Wat Pho in Bangkok is 200 Bahts per person and there are multiple temples inside Wat Pho accessible through this ticket. This ticket also includes a water bottle which can be claimed inside the temple. The water bottle kiosk is located close to the place where Reclining Buddha is placed.
Wat Pho campus has lot of these sculptures and other creations depicting some important aspects of Thai culture and how it evolved over a period of time.
Wat Pho visit timings/hours - 8am to 6:30pm
There is an interesting observation during our stay in Thailand and that's probably a tradition in Cambodia as well - Proper food & drink is served to some important figures around homes/shops. At many places we also noticed small sized temples installed around homes & shops. Families & businessmen serve food & drink to gods before starting the day or having their own meal. In above photograph you can be real food & drinks served.
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Things to do inside Wat Pho in Bangkok city of Thailand?
Phra Ubosot - bot is the ordination hall and this is the main hall used for performing Buddhist rituals and the most sacred building of the complex. This building is raised on a marble platform and the ubosot lies in the center of courtyard enclosed by a double cloister (Phra Rabiang).
Phra Rabiang - This double cloister contains around 400 images of Buddha from northern Thailand. Some of them are located on the inner side of the double cloister and rest are on the outer side.
Phra Prang - There are four towers or phra prang, at each corner of the courtyard around the Phra Ubosot. Each of the towers is tiled with marbles and contains four Khmer-style statues which are the guardian divinities of the Four Cardinal Points.
Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn : These are four large stupas, each 42 metres high and four chedis are dedicated to the first four Chakri kings. The first, in green mosaic tiles, was constructed to house the remnants of the great Buddha from Ayuthaya, which was scorched to remove its gold covering by the Burmese. Two more were built, one in white tiles to hold the ashes of Rama II, another in yellow for Rama III.
Viharn Phranorn : The viharn contains the reclining Buddha and was constructed emulating the Ayutthaya-style.
Phra Mondop : Phra Mondop is the Scripture Hall containing a small library of Buddhist scriptures.
Phra Chedi Rai : Seventy-one of these small chedis are five metres in height.
Sala Karn Parien : This hall is next to the Phra Mondop and is thought to date from the Ayutthaya period. It serves as a learning and meditation hall.
Sala Rai : There are 16 satellite pavilions, most of them placed around the edge of the compound and murals depicting the life of Buddha may be found in some of these. Two of these are the medical pavilions between Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakarn and the main chapel.
Phra Viharn Kod : This is the gallery which consists of four viharas, one on each corner outside the Phra Rabiang.
Tamnak Wasukri : This building is in the living quarters of the monks in the southern compound.
Above photograph shows Buddha images in the cloister, which has plenty of Buddha statues all around - inside as well as outer parts. The cloister is intersected with four viharas or viharns, one on each direction.
Chinese guardian figure beside a gate in Wat Pho. There are dozens of such structures all across the campus of Wat Pho.
Other Things to do around Wat Pho in Bangkok City of Thailand?
- Wat Arun
- Royal Palace
- Khao San Road
- National Discovery Museum Institute
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Wat Pho is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand and the marble illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognised by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught and practiced at the temple. Isn't that amazing and makes this temple special in many ways. We visited lot of temples during our 10 days trip to Thailand but Wat Pho remains special because of it being much more than a temple for Thai people.
Above photograph shows branded water bottle which is offered to every visitor at Wat Pho and this is included as part of entry ticket you buy. There is a coupon that you get with the entry ticket. There is a water distribution kiosk where you can visit with this voucher and get this water bottle.
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The image of the reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations. The posture of the image is referred to as sihasaiyas, the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion. The reclining Buddha in Wat Pho is 15 meters high and 46 meters long. This reclining Buddha is also one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.
As show in above photograph, the right arm of the Buddha supports the head with tight curls, which rests on two box-pillows richly encrusted with glass mosaics.
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Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho of Bangkok has a brick core.
Thousands of people visit this temple to see this huge Reclining Buddha and at any point of time there are hundreds of people in the hall. Volunteers inside Wat Pho suggest to keep moving. So you get very few moments inside the temple. The day we visited Wat Pho, it had a huge queue at every temple inside the campus.
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Wat Pho is located close to Grand Palace in Bangkok city and close to Chao Praya River. Wat Pho is popular for huge Reclining Buddha.
Wat Pho temple is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classed as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples and you would certainly feel that royalty inside the campus. Wat Pho is associated with King Rama I who rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site and became his main temple where some of his ashes are enshrined.
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The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 meters high and 4.5 meters long and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are each divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified, such as flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers, and altar accessories. At the center of each foot of Reclining Buddha is a circle representing a chakra or energy point.
In the hall where Reclining Buddha is located, there are 108 bronze bowls in the corridor representing the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. Visitors may drop coins in these bowls as it is believed to bring good fortune and it also helps the monks to maintain the wat. There is a corner from where you can exchange currency to get these many coins.
There is a huge Viharn which contains the reclining Buddha. There is a popular Bodhi tree just behind the pavilion.
Although it was pretty hot in Bangkok in the month of December but it was clear sky with these blue shapes. I always love to be around places where I can see blue sky. Living in Delhi for 15 years has made me appreciate blue sky while it's very obvious to many.
If I can recommend, I would not suggest to visit this place with any guide. Wat Pho is huge and you would want to explore it at your own pace. Guided tours at times do things in rushed manner and this is not that place where you need a guide. Better to go on your own and plan your exploration as per your own preferences.
Above photograph shows Phra Chedi Rai, which contain the ashes of members of the royal family. I loved these structures and the details.
It was New Year time when we went to Wat Pho. There were lot of celebrations happening in Wat Pho campus and as a part of that there was some seminar happening in temple compound. Above photograph shows the treat we got at the exit gate of Wat Pho.
Overall we had a wonderful visit to Wat Pho and we certainly recommend this place for anyone visiting Bangkok in Thailand.
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