Wat Rajasittharam Rajaworawihara

Wat Rajasittharam Rajaworawihara ( Wat Rajasit) is located close to the Charoenpart Bridge on Isaraphap road in Thonburi. The temple dated from the Ayutthaya Period and it was called originally Wat Phrab. King Rama I ordered the construction of a new temple next to Wat Phrab and the two temples were combined as one. In 1808 the temple was again renovated.
King Rama III resided at this temple while he has a monk, and after he ascended the throne, he ordered another renovation of the temple.
Wat Rajasittharam has several important buildings. The Phra Tamnak Chan was constructed by King Rama II for the future King Rama III when he was a monk. It is a small building with two rooms, the ground floor is of bricks and mortar, while the upper floor is of sandalwood (chan). The apex of gable ( Cho fa, bai raka ) is beautifully decorated with mirrors. King Rama III subsequently had the building moved next to a Chinese-style building. The sandalwood, which had become rotten, was replaced with other types of wood such as teng (shorea), rang (dipterocarpaceae) and teak so that only part of the original sandalwood remains.

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Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara

Wat Rajathiwas Rajaworavihara ( Wat Raja ) is situated on bank of Chao Phraya River, near Tha Wasukri Pier, Samsen. When he was a monk King Rama IV, resided at this temple. It was there that the Dhammayutika sect was born. It is believed to be an ancient temple built before the Ayutthaya Period, and was originally called Wat Samorrai. King Rama V Believed that the word "Samor" was derived from the Khmer word "Thamor", meaning stone. Therefor the temples name meant Wat Silarai. King Rama IV gave the temple its present name of Wat Rajathiwas vihara. The temple is cool and shady as befitting its history as a forest retreat.
In the Fifth Reign the phra ubosot, which has been constructed in the early Rattanakosin Period, was in poor condition. King Rama V therefor ordered Prince Narissaranuwattiwong to reconstruct the phra ubosot but retain the original walls because of the significance of the building in the history of the Dhammayutika sect. The murals were done using the European fresco technique and depicted the story of Phra Vessandara, the Buddha's tenth reincarnation. Prince Narissaranuwattiwong prepared the drafts and Rigole, an Italian artist who painted the ceiling in the dome of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, executed the frescoes.

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Wat Makutkasattriyaram

Wat Makutkasattriyaram ( Wat Makutkasat ) is situated on Phadung Krung Kasem Road and the canal of the same name, near Rachadamnoen Nok Road. When the construction of the Phradung Krung Kasem Canal was completed as the outer moat of the city, King Rama IV wished to have temples built along its banks as had been done in Ayutthaya . Thus he had a temple constructed as companion to Wat Somanasvihara. This temple was completed in 1868 and was originally called Wat Nam Banyad. At the end of the reign the temple was renamed Wat Makutkasattriyaram, which was the royal style and title of King Rama IV.
Wat makutkasat and Wat Somanasvihara are the only two temples in Rattanakosin District that have two rings of sema, or boundary stones. The first ring, called the maha sima, is placed in inches in the temple walls, while the second ring, called the khantha sima, surrounds the phra ubosot. In temples that have two rings of sema, the monks can perform religious ceremonies in both the phra ubosot and the phra vihara

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Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahavihara

Wat Rakhangkhositraram Woramahavihara (Wat Rakhang) is situated on the Thonburi side, opposite Tha Chang Wang Luang Pier. Wat Rakhangkhositraram was originally called Wat Bang Wa Yai and was an ancient temple built during the Ayutthaya Period. King Taksin raised its status to that of a royal temple and had it used as the side of a Buddhist council to recompile the tripikata. In the First Reign , an ancient bell was discovered on the temple grounds and since that time the temple has been know as Wat Rakhang, or the Temple of the Bell. King Rama I has the bell, which has good tone, removed to the Wat Phrasrirattana Sassadaram.
The important buildings include the Golden Palace, where King Taksin and the Supreme Patriarch ( Sri ) resided, and the phra ubosot and tripitaka tower built in the First Reign and decorated with murals.

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Wat Boromniwas

Wat Boromniwas ( Wat Borom ) is near the Bo Bae Market. It was called originally Wat Nok. King Rama IV ordered the construction of this temple while he was still a monk. It was intended to be a forest temple ( Aranyawasee ) companion to Wat Bowornniwet Vihara, which was intended to be the community temple ( Khamawasee ). King Rama V ordered the temple to be renovated and renamed it Wat Boromniwas.
Of importance is the Phra Tosapholayarn, a Buddha image in the marn vichai pose that is installed as the presiding image in the phra ubosot. In the phra ubosot there are unusual murals that were painted by Khrua In Khong, the leading artist of the reign, depicting landscapes and people drawn in the Western style, similar to those found at Wat Bowornniwet Vihara. Between the windows there are scenes depicting activities of Buddhist laymen and monk, such as the ordination ceremony, presentation of robes for the monkhood, observing the precepts during Buddhist Lent, the Loy Krathong festival, Kathina robe presentation and offer picked-up robed, and making merit on the feasts of Magha Puja and Visakha Puja. Above the windows there are scenes in which the people are all Europeans and include scenes of a train and stargazing with a telescope.
Also of interest are the monks' residences and the entrance arch, which are in the European style, the work of craftsmen in the reign of King Rama V.

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Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Mahathat Yuwarajarangsarit Rajaworamahavihara (Wat Mahathat ), originally called Wat Salak, is situated between Sanam Luang and Tha Phra Chan Pier, near Thammasat University. The Supreme Patriarchs resided there during the early Rattanakosin Period. Maha Chulalongkrorn Rajavitthayalai, a Buddhist university, is also situated within the temple ground. The temple was built in the Ayutthaya Period and was renovated in 1783 by Prince Surasinghanart, younger brother of King Rama I, and renamed Wat Nipphanaram.Before the first Grand Council to revise the Buddhist tripitaka was convoked in 1788 , King Rama I renamed the temple Wat Phra Sri Sanphechayadaram and later rename it "Wat Mahathat" following the tradition from the Ayutthaya Period to give this name to the temples that housed relics of the Buddha. King Rama IV added the name "Yuwarajarangsarit" in honor of Prince Vachirunnahis.

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Wat Intharavihara

Wat Intharavihara ( Wat In ) is located on Visut Kasat Road, near Bang Khun Phrom Intersection opposite the Bank of Thailand . The temple was built before the founding of the capital and was originally called Wat Bang Khun Phrom Nok. It was renovated and renamed Wat Intharam when King Rama I provided land in Bang khun Phrom Sub-district for the settlement of prisoners of war from Vientiane. Chao In, an uncle of Chao Noi Khiew Khom, one of the King's chief wives, renovated the temple and invited Chao Khun Phra Aranyik, a monk who had also come from Vientiane, to preside as an abbot. Chao Inthawong , the son ofSomdej Phra Boworn Rajchao Mahasakdipholasep, was responsible for a second renovation.King Rama VI renamed the temple Wat Intharavihara because the name was the same as Wat Intharam ( Wat Bangyirua Tai ) in Thonburi. People generally refer to the temple as Wat In, Wat In Bang Khun Phrom, or Wat Luang Pho To.

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Wat Dusidaram Woravihara ( Wat Dusid )

Wat Dusidaram Woravihara ( Wat Dusid ) is located on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the mouth of the Bangkok Noi Canal and the approach to the Pin Klao Bridge on the Thoburi side. It was an ancient temple called originally Wat Sao Prakhon. Somdej Phra Chao Boromawongther Kromluang Srisunthornthep, a son of King Rama I, had the temple reestablished. Krom Phrarajawang Boworn Mahasenanurak renovated the temple in 1913 and rename it Wat Dusidaram . A small, neighboring temple which was abandoned, called Wat Phumarin Rajapaksi, was also incorporated into Wat Dusidaram.

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Wat Chinorasaram Woravihara

Wat Chinorasaram Woravihara ( Wat Chinoros ) is located on the bank of the Morn Canal on Isaraphap Road opposite the Naval Docks. The princely monk, Somdej Phra Maha Somanachao Krom Phra Poramanuchit Chinoros ordered the construction of the temple in approximately 1836.
King Rama IV ordered the artisans to sculpt and draw pictures of the naga, or mythical serpent, in many places as a reminder of the prince's former name, which was , Prince Wasukri. He also had a crown sculpted that was placed above the frame behind the presiding Buddha image in the phra ubosot.
The phra ubosot of Wat Chinorasaram Woravihara displays artistic styles of the Third Reign. Decorative roof tiles, the chofa, bai raka gable apex ornaments, the gable decorated with plaster plants and flowers and half figures a deity with folded hands in the center, and decorated with gold leaf on pieces of glass. The door and window frames bear kanok designs in gilded plaster studded with glass. The interior door and window panels are decorated with haw or toh chin, patterns. The exteriors are decorated with lai rod nam pattern with nagas flying in the clouds. The exterior of the central door depicts Siew kang holding a fan and treading on a naga. The ceiling is painted red and decorated with naga fretwork and covered with gold leaf.

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Wat Chakkrawadrajawas Woramahavihara (Wat Sam Pleum)

Wat Chakkrawadrajawas Woramahavihara (Wat Sam Pleum) is located on Chakkrawad Road and Soi Wanich (Sampeng). An ancient temple dating from the Ayutthaya Period called Wat Nang Pleum , its name was changed to Wat Sam Pleum.
In approximately 1819, Chao Phraya Bodin Decha (Sing Singhaseni) , the leading general in the reign of King Rama III, began rebuilding the temple. Upon completion he presented the temple to King Rama III as a royal temple and it was given the name that is bears to this day. The temple has many interesting structures such as the large phra prang, the Mondop Phra Buddhabat, the crocodile pond, and Khao Phra Buddha Chai.

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Wat Anongkharam Woravihara

Wat Anongkharam Woravihara (Wat Anong) is located on Somdej Chao Phraya Road . The temple dates from the early Rattanakosin Period. It was first named Wat Noi Kham Thaem, after its builder, Than Phuying Noi, wife of Somdej Chao Phraya Borom Mahaphichaiyart ( That Bunnag ). The temple was built as a companion to her husband temple, Wat Phichayatikaram. King Rama IV later renamed the temple Wat Anongkharam.

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Wat Phrasrirattana Sasadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo)

Wat Phrasrirattana Sasadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo), or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, situated within the Grand Palace, near Sanam Luang, is a sacred symbol of the Rattanakosin, or Bangkok, Dyansty and the most important temple in realm. It was built by King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, at the same time as the Grand Palace in 1782, when he established Bangkok as his capital, in order to serve as the palace chapel, in which traditional royal ceremonies would be conducted. It thus has a sanctuary for the performance of Buddhist rites, but no residences for monks.
The temple is richly endowed with fine art and architecture. The Emerald Buddha image is enshrined in the phra ubosot, the exterior walls of which are covered with beautiful designs in gold leaf and glass, while the interior walls bear murals depicting the life of Buddha and other subjects.

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Wat Suthatthepwararam Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Suthatthepwararam Rajaworamahavihara ( Wat Suthat ) is situated on Bamrung Muang Road, near the Giant Swing. King Rama I commissioned its construction in 1807 to enshrine the phra To, or Phra Sri Sakayamunee, image from Sukhothai.

Phra SisakayamuniPhra Sisakayamunee, the principal Buddha statue in the Pra Vihara Luang (royal temple). This statue is placed on the "Chuk Chee" basement with splendidly gold and mosaic decoration.

Phra Buddha Trilokachet, The principal Buddha statue in Phra Ubosot (the chapel), named "Phra Buddha Trilokachet" as called by Phra Baht Somdej Phra Chulachomklao Chao Yuhua, the King Rama IV, is the Buddha statue in cast metal under the command of Phra Baht Somdej Phra Nang Klao Chao Yuhua, the King Rama III.

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Wat Rajabopit Sathitmahasimaram Rajaworavihara ( Wat Rajabopit )

Wat Rajabopit Sathitmahasimaram Rajaworavihara ( Wat Rajabopit ) is situated between Fuang Nakhon Road and Usadang Road ( Khlong Ku Muang Derm Road ), near the Ministry of Interior. King Rama V ordered its construction in 1969.

In the temple there are eight stone pillars each surmounted with a covering of the Buddhist Wheel of Law (Dhammachak), one of each of the eight directions, hence the name "Mahasimaram" (Great Boundary Pillars). On the gate shutters of the temple are carved soldier of the Corps of Royal Pages attired in European - style uniforms instead of traditional dresses. On the entering of temple compound of the front entrance the phra ubosot, phra chedi and phra vihara can be seen raised above ground level on a platform.

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Wat Bowornniwet Vihara Rajaworavihara ( Wat Boworn )

Wat Bowornniwet Vihara Rajaworavihara ( Wat Boworn ) is situated near the Wan Chart Bridge and Banglamphoo Market. Prince Mahasakdipolsep, vice-king of the Third Reign, ordered the construction of this temple along with Wat Rangsisuthawas and it was built between 1824 to1832. At first the temple was called Wat Mai, but when king Rama III invited the future King Rama IV, who was then a monk, to be abbot of the temple , the name was changed to Wat Bowornniwet Vihara. In the Six Reign Wat Rangsisuthawas, which was in poor condition, was incorporated into Wat Bowornniwet Vihara. Wat Boworn is the residence of members of the royal family who enter the monkhood. It has been the residence of many the supreme patriarchs of the Buddhist Church in Thailand, and it is the site of Mahamakut Rajavittayalai, Thailand's first Buddhist institution of the high education.
Within the phra ubosot there are murals that are the work of Khrua In Khong. Of special interest are the painting above the windows illustrating Dhamma teachings using European figures and scenes. The murals also employed perspective as in Western style paintings. There are two presiding Buddha images in the phra ubosot , namely Phra Suwannakhet or Luang Pho To, and Phra Buddha Chinasi, which was brought down from Phitsanulok.

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Wat Rajorasaram

Wat Rajorasaram (Wat Rajaoros) is situated on the bank of the Darn canal, Bangkhunthien, Thonburi, near Wat Nang and Wat Nangnong. It is named Raja Orasaram it build by Prince Chesadabodin, a son of King Rama II. A temple build during the Ayutthaya Period, occupied this site called Wat Chomthong, It was a small temple used by commoners situated in a shady orchard. During the Second Reign, in 1820, there was a remour that the Burmese were preparing another invasion of Siam. King Rama II therefore sent an army led by his son Prince Chesadabodin, the future King Rama III, to the frontier at Kanchanaburi. On the way he stopped at this temple and performed the boak khlon thawan ceremony as prescribed for troops marching off to war in the ancient treatise on warfare. When the rainy season of 1821 arrived and the Burmese army had not appeared, the prince led his army back to the capital. Later, the ordered the temple to be renovated using plaster as a major materials, because it was more durable than wood. King Rama II bestowed on it the name "Wat Rajaoros". The rebuilding took 14 years, the celebrations on its completion being held in 1831.

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Wat Rajapradit Sathitmahasimaram Rajaworavihara

Wat Rajapradit Sathitmahasimaram Rajaworavihara (Wat Rajapradit) is situated next to Saranrom Park closed to Khlong Ku Muang Derm Road, on the opposite side of the canal from Wat Rajabopit. King Rama IV ordered the construction of Wat Rajapradit Sathitmahasimaram in 1864 as the first temple of Dhammayutika sect. The phra vihara luang is constructed on a high base and is beautifully decorated. In the temple there are eight stone pillars, each surmounted by a carving of the Buddhist Wheel of Law (Dhammachak), one for each of the eight directions, hence the name "Mahasimaram".

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Wat Phrachetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram

Wat Phrachetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram Rajaworamahavihara ( Wat Pho) is situated behind the Grand Palace, near the Tha Tien Pier. It is a large temple originally called Wat Photharam, that was built during the Ayutthaya Period. King Rama I ordered its complete restoration in 1789 and installed many Buddha images that were removed from abandoned temples in other parts of the country.
King Rama III ordered another major renovation of the temple to make it a center of learning and art. This took 16 years to complete. Texts from treatises on various fields of knowledge were inscribed on marble slabs and placed in pavilions in the temple and stone statues. Wat Pho thus became a source of knowledge for people of all classes and has therefore been referred to as Thailand's first university.
The Phra Buddhasaiyat, or Giant Reclining Buddha, in the phra vihara for which the temple is famed was constructed in the Third Reign. On the sole of the foot inlaid in mother of pearl is the auspicious number 108.
There are also 95 chedi of various types, the most important being the four chedi of the first four Kings of the Chakri Dynasty. There are also numerous small and large stone statues from China.

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Wat Arunrajawararam Rajaworamahavihara

Wat Arunrajawararam Rajaworamahavihara ( Wat Chaeng ) is situated on the west, or Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River opposite Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram (Wat Pho). Originally it was named Wat Makok, and later, Wat Makok Nok, as it was paired with Wat Makok Nai (Wat Nuan Noradis). It is said that after fighting his way out Ayutthaya, which was besigned by a Burmese army, King Taksin arrived at this temple just as down was breaking. He later had the temple renovated and renamed it Wat Chaeng, the Temple of the Dawn. During his reign, which is called the Thonburi Period, WatChaeng was the chief temple, and for time, there were enshrined the Emerald Buddha and another important Buddha image, the Phra Bang, both of which had been removed from Vientiane.

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Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan

According to legend, Luang Pho Sothon floated down the Bang Pakong River to the site of the temple. Efforts to retrieve it were unsuccessful until a villager had a small shrine erected on the site and performed a ceremony welcoming the image to the community

This temple is situated on the west bank of the Bang Pakong River, 2 Kms. south of the city hall. Enshrined in a new gigantic hall is Phra Phutthasothon, or "Luang Pho Sothon" regarded as one of the most revered Buddha images in Thailand. The image, in the attitude of meditation, measuring 1.65 metres wide at the lap and 1.98 metres high, is always seen entirely pasted with gold leaves by worshipers. Two annual fairs celebrating the image fall in the 5th and the 12th lunar months (around April and November).

Location: Chachoengsao, Chachoengsao Province

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Wat Khun Inthra Pramun

The temple was left abandoned for more than 100 years until King Borrommakot of Ayutthaya ordered the reconstruction. Records show that King Rama IV visited this temple twice. Wat Khun Inthra Pramun is regarded as the most important temple in Ang Thong Province.

This ancient temple is located 9 kms. along the Ang Thong-Pho Thong route and 2 kms. along an access road. There is a large reclining Buddha image 50 metres long, lying in the open area. The wihara housing the image was destroyed during the first fall of Ayutthaya. The statue of Khun Inthapramun was in front of the Buddha image. According to a legend, Khun Inthapramun is a revenue officer who secretly took away official money to enlarge the original 40 metre construction of the image and was subsequently whipped to death.

Location:Ang Thong, Ang Thong Province

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Wat Phra Buddhabat

Wat Phra Buddhabat is a royal temple of the first class rank, the same as Wat Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom province.

The Footprint was first discovered in the reign of King Song Tham (1610 - 1628). A group of monks went on a pilgrimage to Ceylon to worship the Buddha's Footprint at Mount Sumanakut. They were told by the Ceylonese monks that one of the Lord Buddha's Footprint might be found in Thailand. On hearing this, the king ordered his officials in all parts of the kingdom to look for it for the location of the Footprint had not been identified.

Meantime, in a distant area of Saraburi, a hunter while trailing a wounded deer to this hilly part found a large, curiously shaped hollow in a rock with water in the hollow. The shape of the hollow resembles the footprint of a very large man. The hunter therefore reported his finding to the town governor who, having verified it, sent word to the capital. King Song Tham came himself to examine it and saw the appropriate signs of a Buddha's Footprint. Thus the site was declared a Buddhist shrine and a mondop was built over the Footprint while the land around the Footprint was made into a town named "Parantapa" or "Muang Khied Khin". The hill on which the Footprint was found was renamed Mount Suwan Banphot or Mount Satjaphan Khiri.

The Buddha's Footprint is a natural impression in limestone rock that resembles a very large footprint. It is 50 cms. wide, 150 cms. long and 30 cms. deep. The present mondop covering the Footprint was built by King Rama I. It was built to replace the one of the Ayutthaya time that was destroyed by fire when some Chinese brigands, seizing the opportunity while Ayutthaya was under siege to rob the temple of valuable objects, set fire to the mondop in order to melt down the gold in the canopy over the Footprint.

Location: Saraburi, Central Thailand.
Festivals: Tak Bat Dok Mai Festival
Spelling: The name of the temple is sometimes spelled as Wat Phra Phuttabat

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Wat Phra Pathom Chedi

Wat Phra Pathom Chedi is one of the largest pagodas in the world and in Thailand, by far the most holy of all Buddhist structures. The original pagoda was constructed more than 2,000 years ago in the stupa design of an upside down bowl shape. A replica of the original pagoda stands south of the present one. ln the year 1853, King Rama lV commanded the reconstruction of a new huge pagoda covering the original one. lt has a height of 120.45 metres and a total length of 234,75 metres around the base. A nearby museum contains a wealth of priceless relics and many of the stone carvings found in and around Nakhon Pathom. At the four points of the compass in the outer courtyard are four Wiharas (halls) containing images of Buddha in various postures.

Location: Nakhon Pathom, Central Thailand.

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Wat Suthat

Wat Suthat is on Bamrung Muang Road in Bangkok and is famous for the excellent murals created in the reign of King Rama III. The Wihara (preaching hall) should be seen for its collection of gilded Buddha images. A huge door with intricate carving, which is the masterpiece of King Rama II, once belonged to this temple and is now kept in the National Museum. In front of the temple is the Giant Swing or Sao Ching Cha, where a Brahmanic ceremony had taken place until the early 20th century. Many nearby shops stock a very comprehensive range of Buddhist religious supplies

Wat Suthat was constructed in 1807 after the 27th anniversary of the founding of Bangkok by King Rama I. The main wihan is surrounded by a cirulambutory area of three levels. On the uppermost level are mounted small chapels for each of its fours corners. Phra Sisakayamuni, the main Buddha image, is larger and older than any other bronze cast Buddha image in Thailand. The base of the image is 6.25 metres wide and has a height of 8 metres.

The cloisters surrounding the wihan contain dozens of Buddha images. The compound is very large and sometimes very quiet. The ordination Hall (or ubosot) is said to be one of the most beautiful in Thailand and very large in size. The 72 metre high structure is supported by 68 pillars. Phra Putatrilokachet is a Buddha image cast in bronze. It is 5.20 metres in width and 8.45 metres in height. Surrounding the ubosot can be found many Chinese statues which were originally used as ballast for ships.
Location: Bangkok, Central Thailand.

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