Wat Pho

Wat Pho(Thai:วัดโพธิ์,pronounced[wátpʰōː]), also spelledWat Po, is aBuddhisttemple complex in thePhra Nakhon District,Bangkok,Thailand. It is onRattanakosin Island, directly south of theGrand Palace.Known also as theTemple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name isWat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan(Thai:วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร;pronounced[wátpʰráʔtɕʰê:t.tù.pʰonwíʔ.mon.maŋ.kʰlaː.raːmrâːt.tɕʰá.wɔː.ráʔ.má.hǎː.wíʔ.hǎːn]).The more commonly known name, Wat Pho, is a contraction of its older name,Wat Photaram(Thai:วัดโพธาราม;RTGS:Wat Photharam).
The temple is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classed as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples.It is associated with KingRama Iwho rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site. It became his main temple and is where some of his ashes are enshrined.The temple was later expanded and extensively renovated byRama III. The temple complex houses the largest collection ofBuddha imagesin Thailand, including a 46 m long hugereclining Buddha. The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the  illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognised byUNESCOin itsMemory of the World Programme. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditionalThai massagewhich is still taught and practiced at the temple.
Wat Pho is one of Bangkok's oldest temples. It existed before Bangkok was established as the capital by KingRama I. It was originally named Wat Photaram or Podharam, from which the name Wat Pho is derived.The name refers to the monastery of theBodhi treeinBodh Gaya,Indiawhere Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.The date of the construction of the old temple and its founder are not known; it was built sometime in theAyutthaya period, but said to have been built or expanded during the reign ofKing Phetracha(1688–1703).The southern section of Wat Pho used to be occupied by part of a FrenchStar fortthat was demolished by King Phetracha after the 1688Siege of Bangkok.
After the fall ofAyutthayain 1767 to the Burmese,King Taksinmoved the capital toThonburiwhere he locatedhis palacebesideWat Arunon the opposite side of theChao Phraya Riverfrom Wat Pho. The proximity of Wat Pho to this royal palace elevated it to the status of awat luang('royal monastery'), to be administered by the royal monastic committee up to the present day.
In 1782, King Rama I moved the capital fromThonburiacross the river to Bangkok and built theGrand Palaceadjacent to Wat Pho. In 1788, he ordered the construction and renovation at the old temple site of Wat Pho, which had by then become dilapidated.The site, which was marshy and uneven, was drained and filled in before construction began. During its construction, Rama I also initiated a project to remove Buddha images from abandoned temples inAyutthaya,Sukhothai, and various other sites in Thailand, and many of these retrieved Buddha images were then kept at Wat Pho.These include the remnants of an enormous Buddha image fromAyuthaya's Wat Phra Si Sanphet destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, and these were incorporated into achediin the complex.The rebuilding took over seven years to complete. In 1801, twelve years after work began, the new temple complex was renamedWat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklavasin reference to theviharaofJetavana, and it became the main temple for Rama I.
The complex underwent significant changes over the next two centuries, particularly during the reign ofRama III(1824-1851). In 1832, King Rama III began renovating and enlarging the temple complex, a process that took 16 years and seven months to complete. The ground of the temple complex was expanded to 56rai(9.0 ha; 22 acres), and most of the structures now present in Wat Pho were either built or rebuilt during this period, including the Chapel of the Reclining Buddha. He also turned the temple complex into a public center of learning by decorating the walls of the buildings with diagrams and inscriptions on various subjects.The inscriptions were written by about 50 people from the court of Rama III and learned monks led bySupreme PatriarchPrinceParamanuchitchinorot(1790-1853), the abbot of Wat Pho, a Buddhist scholar, historian and poet.On 21 February 2008, these marble illustrations and inscriptions was registered in theMemory of the World Programmelaunched byUNESCOto promote, preserve and propagate the wisdom of the world heritage.Wat Pho is regarded as Thailand's first university and a center for traditional Thai massage. It served as a medical teaching center in the mid-19th century before the advent of modern medicine, and the temple remains a center for traditional medicine today where a private school for Thai medicine founded in 1957 still operates.
The name of the complex was changed again to Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm during the reign ofKing Rama IV.Apart from the construction of a fourth great chedi and minor modifications by Rama IV, there had been no significant changes to Wat Pho since. Repair work, however, is a continuing process, often funded by devotees of the temple. The temple was restored again in 1982 before the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration.
Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldestwatsin Bangkok covering an area of 50raior 80,000 square metres.It is home to more than one thousandBuddha images, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images at 46 metres (151 ft) in length.The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Chetuphon Road running in the east–west direction. The larger northern walled compound, thephutthawat, is open to visitors and contains the finest buildings dedicated to the Buddha, including thebotwith its four directionalviharn, and the temple housing the reclining Buddha.The southern compound, thesankhawat, contains the residential quarters of the monks and a school. The perimeter wall of the main temple complex has sixteen gates, two of which serve as entrances for the public (one on Chetuphon Road, the other near the northwest corner).
The temple grounds contain four greatchedis, 91 smallchedis, twobelfries, abot(central shrine), a number ofviharas(halls) and various buildings such as pavilions, as well as gardens and a small temple museum. Architecturally thechedisand buildings in the complex are different in style and sizes.A number of large Chinese statues, some of which depict Europeans, are also found in the complex guarding the gates of the perimeter walls as well as other gates in the compound. These stone statues were originally imported asballaston ships trading with China.
Wat Pho was also intended to serve as a place of education for the general public. To this end a pictorial encyclopedia was engraved on granite slabs covering eight subject areas: history, medicine, health, custom, literature, proverbs, lexicography, and the Buddhist religion.These plaques, inscribed with texts and illustrations on medicine, figures with pressure points for Thai traditional massage, and other subjects, are placed around the temple,for example, within the Sala Rai or satellite open pavilions. Dotted around the complex are 24 small rock gardens (khao mor) illustrating rock formations of Thailand, and one, called the Contorting Hermit Hill, contains some statues showing methods of massage and yoga positions.There are also drawings of constellations on the wall of the library, inscriptions on local administration, as well as paintings of folk tales and animal husbandry.
PhraUbosot(Phra Uposatha) orbotis the ordination hall, the main hall used for performing Buddhist rituals, and the most sacred building of the complex. It was constructed by King Rama I in the Ayuthaya-style, and later enlarged and reconstructed in theRattanakosin-style by Rama III. Thebotwas dedicated in 1791, before the rebuilding of Wat Pho was completed.This building is raised on a marble platform, its teak doors are inset with mother-of-pearl illustrating stories from theRamayana.Theubosotlies in the center of courtyard enclosed by a double cloister (Phra Rabiang).
Inside theubosotis a gold and crystal three-tiered pedestal topped with a gilded Buddha made of a gold-copper alloy, and over the statue is anine-tiered umbrellarepresenting the authority of Thailand.The Buddha image, known as Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn and thought to be from the Ayutthaya period, was moved here by Rama I fromWat Sala Si Na(now calledWat Khuhasawan) in Thonburi.Rama IV later placed some ashes of Rama I under the pedestal of the Buddha image so that the public may pay homage to both Rama I and the Buddha at the same time. There are also ten images of Buddha's disciples in the hall:Moggalanais to the left of Buddha andSariputtato the right, with eightArahantsbelow.
The exterior balustrade surrounding the main hall has around 150 depictions in stone of the epic,Ramakien, the ultimate message of which is transcendence from secular to spiritual dimensions.The stone panels were recovered from a temple in Ayuthaya. Theubosotis enclosed by a low wall calledkamphaeng kaew,which is punctuated by gateways guarded by mythological lions, as well as eight structures that housebai sema, stone markers that delineate the sacred space of thebot.
The Phra Rabiang is intersected by four viharns. The viharn in the east contains an eight metre tall standing Buddha, the Buddha Lokanatha ("Saviour of the World"), originally from Ayutthaya. In its antechamber is BuddhaMaravichai(referencing victory overMara), sitting under a bodhi tree, originally fromSawankhalokof the late-Sukhothai period. The one on the west has a seated Buddha sheltered by anaga, the Buddha Chinnasri ("the victorious lion Buddha"), while the Buddha on the south, the Buddha Chinnaraja (named afterPhra Phuttha ChinnaratofPhitsanulok), has five disciples seated in front listening to his first sermon. Both Buddhas in the south and west viharns were brought from Sukhothai by Rama I. The Buddha in the north viharn, called Buddha Palilai (a reference to the elephant Palilaika), was cast in the reign of Rama I.The viharn on the west contains a small museum.
This is a group of four large stupas, each 42 metres high. These fourchedisare dedicated to the first fourChakrikings.The first, in green mosaic tiles, was constructed by Rama I to house the remnants of a great bronze standing Buddha from Ayutthaya called Phra Phuttha Sanphet. The Burmese were said to have scorched the Buddha image to remove near 2 tons of its gold covering, later the image fragmented when thevihanit was in collapsed upon it, and Rama I who brought it Wat Pho decided to encase the image in the chedi.
Two more chedis were built by Rama III, one in white tiles to hold the ashes of his fatherRama II, another in yellow for himself. A fourth in blue was built byRama IVwho then enclosed the fourchedisleaving no space for more to be built.
Theviharnorwihancontains the reclining Buddha and was constructed in the reign of Rama III emulating the Ayutthaya style. The interior is decorated with panels of mural.
Adjacent to this building is a small raised garden (Missakawan Park) with a Chinese-style pavilion; the centre piece of the garden is abodhi treewhich was propagated from theJaya Sri Maha Bodhitree in Sri Lanka that is believed to have originally came from a tree in India where Buddha sat while awaitingenlightenment.
PhraMondopor theho traiis the Scripture Hall containing a small library of Buddhist scriptures. The building is not generally open to the public as the scriptures, which are inscribed on palm leaves, need to be kept in a controlled environment for preservation.The library was built by King Rama III. Guarding its entrance are figures calledYak Wat Pho('Wat Pho's Giants') placed in niches beside the gates.Around Phra Mondop are three pavilions with mural paintings of the beginning of Ramayana.
The wat and the reclining Buddha (Phra Buddhasaiyas,Thai:พระพุทธไสยาสน์) were built by Rama III in 1832.The image of thereclining Buddharepresents the entry of Buddha intoNirvanaand the end of all reincarnations.The posture of the image is referred to assihasaiyas, the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion. The figure is 15 m high and 46 m long, and it is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.
The figure has a brick core, which was modelled and shaped with plaster, then gilded.The right arm of the Buddha supports the head with tight curls, which rests on two box-pillows encrusted with glass mosaics.The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 m high and 4.5 m 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 is a circle representing achakraor 'energy point'. 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 thewat.
Although the reclining Buddha is not a pilgrimage destination, it remains an object of popular piety.An annual celebration for the reclining Buddha is held around the time of the SiameseSongkranor New Year in April, which also helps raise funds for the upkeep of Wat Pho.
The temple is considered the first public university of Thailand, teaching students in the fields of religion, science, and literature through murals and sculptures.A school for traditional medicine and massage was established at the temple in 1955, and now offers four courses in Thai medicine: Thai pharmacy, Thai medical practice, Thai midwifery, andThai massage.This, the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School, is the first school of Thai medicine approved by the Thai Ministry of Education, and one of the earliest massage schools. It remains the national headquarters and the center of education of traditional Thai medicine and massage to this day. Courses on Thai massage are held in Wat Pho, and these may last a few weeks to a year.Two pavilions at the eastern edge of the Wat Pho compound are used as classrooms for practising Thai traditional massage and herbal massage, and visitors can receive massage treatment here for a fee.The Thai massage or Nuad Thai taught at Wat Pho has been included inUNESCO's listofIntangible Cultural Heritage, and Wat Pho has trained more than 200,000 massage therapists who practice in 145 countries.
There are many medical inscriptions and illustrations placed in various buildings around the temple complex, some of which serve as instructions for Thai massage therapists, particularly those in the north medical pavilion.They were inscribed by scholars during the reign ofKing Rama III.Among these are 60 inscribed plaques, 30 each for the front and back of human body, showing pressure points used in traditional Thai massage. These therapeutic points and energy pathways, known assen, with explanations given on the walls next to the plaques.
Thesangkhawat(monks' quarters) of Wat Pho located to the south is not shown in this plan.