Golden Teak Museum

This weekend's Walking Adventure took us to the deep neighborhood of Dusit, the royal district in Bangkok where I used to work! Dusit is Bangkok's "new" royal neighborhood, founded in the 19th century by King Rama V after he returned from his European travels. The district is beautifully designed, with wide, leafy avenues, palaces, fountains, and government buildings. It has a distinctly European feel.

Wat Devaraj

On this walk, we ventured deeper into Dusit that I had ever been; all the way to the river! The first place that our guide Noi took us was Wat Devaraj Kunchorn Voraviharn (Wat Devaraj), a Buddhist temple and home to the Golden Teak Museum.

it is a royal temple of the third grade

Founded in 1307, Wat Devaraj dates back to the Ayutthaya Period. When the capital was moved to Bangkok during the reign of King Rama I, the temple was restored and rebuilt in the style of the royal temple, Wat Phra Kaew (at the Grand Palace).

main Buddha image inside the temple 

The temple has been given the ranking of a royal temple of the third grade, and the temple hall is full of Buddhist artifacts and treasures. Wat Devaraj, in addition to its royal status, has also been recognized by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand as a National Religious Institution due to its historical and artistic significance.

The first thing that caught my attention was this cabinet containing an ancient copy of a part of the Buddhist Canon.

an ancient collection of Buddhist scriptures 

Other treasures included this tiny golden statue of a monk and a Buddhist relic (bone or tooth) inside an ornate glass bulb.

a tiny golden monk and a Buddhist relic

We weren't just here to visit the temple, as interesting as it is. The real reason we came to Wat Devaraj was to see the Golden Teak Museum.

the museum is sponsored by HM the Queen Dowager

The Golden Teak Museum is a building made of Thai golden teak wood that dates back over half a millennium! The house once stood in Phrae Province, but was moved to Bangkok as part of a royal initiative. Now, it houses a museum dedicated to Thai Buddhist teaching.

marigolds and Buddha statue

The first room on the upper floor of the museum was full of completely lifelike wax statues of the Supreme Patriarchs of the current Rattanakosin Kingdom (dating back around 250 years). The Supreme Patriarch, or Sangharaja, is the most senior monk in Thailand, and oversees Thai Buddhism. Essentially, the Patriarch is a ranking similar to (but not exactly the same as) Pope.

wax statues of the Supreme Patriarchs of Thailand 

The statues looked very, very real, right down to liver spots, veins, and moles!

stained glass window representing justice 

Another room contained a beautiful stained glass window depicting the Scales of Justice, along with a shrine made up of golden representations of the Buddhas of the Day.

Buddhas of the week 

A large portion of the museum was dedicated to a library of Buddhist teachings and other religious artifacts from Thai Buddhism. On the left, you'll see a collection of monk's fans in royal colors. On the right, a collection of various Buddha images from across the kingdom.

Buddhist artifacts at the museum 

It's amazing how such an ancient wooden mansion can still be in such incredible condition. Even though the building is 500 years old, it feels brand new. That's what's so special about golden teak wood, and what makes it so expensive. It's a beautiful, rich, hard wood that polishes to a comfortable smoothness. It's the wood that was used to make temples and houses in traditional Thai architecture.

Buddhist library at the museum