Wat Intharawihan: The Temple of the Standing Buddha

I visited Wat Intharawihan years ago on my very first adventure in Bangkok.

Back then, I was totally new to the city. I didn't know where anything was, and even though the Temple of the Standing Buddha was really an impressive sight for a Bangkok newbie to see, I was never able to find it again.

But now, seven years later, I finally found my way back to this incredible third-class royal temple!

inside the prayer hall

The ordination hall and other temple buildings are beautiful, but the most spectacular feature is the giant Standing Buddha, a mountainous golden statue which towers over the temple complex.

Construction on the Standing Buddha, known as "Luang Pho To", or more formally "Phra Si Ariyamettrai" began in 1867. Such a huge undertaking took over sixty years to build, and it wasn't completed until 1927.

the impressive Standing Buddha

The Standing Buddha was designed under the orders of the venerable mystic Somdej Toh, a monk who is best-known for the powerful Buddhist amulets that he made and for the famous ghost he is said to have battled and trapped.

The Standing Buddha was Father Toh's last great work, and the abbot died while in prayer at the foot of the golden Buddha in 1871 while it was still under construction.

the 105 foot-tall Phra Si Ariyamettrai

The statue itself, gilded in 24-carat gold and covered in glass mosaic, is depicted as carrying a monk's bowl, and is is draped in a long piece of holy saffron cloth. The topknot of the Buddha's head is pure gold, and contains a holy relic of the Buddha himself, given as a gift to the Kingdom by the government of Sri Lanka in 1978.

devotees pray at the foot of the Buddha

Devotees pray before the feet of the giant statue, and leave offerings of flowers, incense, mackerel, and eggs.

praying at the Standing Buddha

As I was taking some pictures and exploring the temple, a lady approached me holding a folded saffron cloth. "Excuse me," she said, "can you help me?"

She was trying to wrap a golden Buddha statue in a light orange cloth, but the strong breeze was making it difficult.

the statue is covered in glass mosaic, and the topknot contains a relic

Eventually, we got the cloth wrapped across the Buddha's shoulders like a monk's robe, and the woman was able to pin it in place.

she asked for my help wrapping the Buddha in saffron cloth

It's this type of little interactions that makes life so interesting! Even though the woman and I didn't speak after that, it was a small moment where I got to be a tiny part of something interesting at the temple.