There's been growing unhappiness in Thailand recently about the infamous 2-price system, a common practice in which Thais and foreigners are charged separate prices to visit attractions such as museums, national parks, and temples. Famous blogger Richard Barrow has even started a website to "name and shame" places that support such practices. Now that there are no tourists and every foreigner currently in Thailand in the time of COVID-19 is an expat, this practice has come under great scrutiny.
There was a discussion on Twitter a while back about people's favorite free places to visit, and another famous expat, TV host and blogger Dan Fraser, mentioned that Wat Rachabophit was his favorite temple in Bangkok (and totally free to visit). I had never even heard of this temple, and made a day trip to the old town to check it out.
The temple's abbot is Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana IX, the 20th and current Sangharaja, or Supreme Patriarch of Thailand (the head monk in Thai Buddhism), and the temple is home to the Royal Cemetery.
The temple was built in 1869 by the internationally-minded King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The main chedi, or reliquary stupa is built in a Sri Lankan style, and the temple is covered in colorful glass tiles. It sparkles in the sunlight. The interior of the temple building is inspired by the gilded Italian architecture that HM King Rama V saw on a visit to Europe.
You can see more of King Rama V's European-Buddhist architectural designs at the royal temple at Bang Pa-In Palace in Ayutthaya and at the chapel on his resort island, Koh Sichang.
Even though it's such a beautiful temple, I was surprised at how quiet it was. I really do think that a lot of people don't know about Wat Rachabophit, but I think this is going to be one of the new spots that I bring visitors from now on. It's one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples that I've ever seen, and when you explore it, it really feels like you have the entire place to yourself.
As you walk around the gilded central chedi, a number of Buddhist statues and monuments sit in niches along the ornate walls. Every surface of the temple glitters in bright, rich color, and the entire complex feels quite ethereal and otherworldly.
A statue of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) sits before the temple. A number of visitors had lit incense and offerings to His Majesty, and were praying before the statue.
King Rama V is one of the most important and most beloved kings in Thai history. He abolished slavery, introduced Western-style architecture and dress to the kingdom, designed the first railroads in the country, and did so much more to modernize Siam.
The main reason that Wat Rachabophis is so famous is because it is home to the Royal Cemetery. In a quiet and leafy courtyard behind the main temple building, the cremated ashes of a number of members of the royal family and relatives of King Rama V are interred in beautiful monuments in both Buddhist and Western style.
There are 34 different monuments in the cemetery, each one dedicated to a branch of the Royal Family. It's open to the public, though not many people know about it. When I visited, I believe I was the only person to walk around the peaceful and serene grounds, with their lush gardens and beautiful monuments.
There is even a Gothic-style mausoleum, looking very much like a Western-style Catholic cathedral. Whithin this monument, the famous Elisabeth Rangsit na Ayudhaya, a foreign woman who married a minor Thai prince, and her family, are interred. King Rama V was especially fond of Western architecture.
No comments:
Post a Comment