250px, Mural painting of Wat Maha Phruettharam, the origin name of the subdistrict
250px, Maha Nakhon–Si Phraya Intersection, also known as Maha Set Intersection, where Si Phraya meets Maha Nakhon and Maha Set Roads overlaps the area of Si Phraya
250px, at the entrance of Soi Chom Sombun on the side of Rama IV Road inbound">FamilyMart at the entrance of Soi Chom Sombun on the side of Rama IV Road inbound
Maha Phruettharam ( th, มหาพฤฒาราม, ) is one of the five ''
khwaeng
A ''khwaeng'' (, ) is an administrative subdivision used in the fifty districts of Bangkok and a few other city municipalities in Thailand. Currently, there are 180 ''khwaeng'' in Bangkok. A ''khwaeng'' is roughly equivalent to a ''tambon'' in othe ...
'' (subdistrict) of
Bang Rak District, Bangkok.
History
The subdistrict is named after the local temple, Wat Maha Phruettharam Worawihan (วัดมหาพฤฒารามวรวิหาร), or known in short as Wat Maha Phruettharam, the third grade temple of
worawihan, an old monastery whose exact origin is unknown, originally named Wat Tha Kwian (วัดท่าเกวียน).
The name of temple is derived from the legend about the legendary king of
Ayutthaya era
The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...
, U-thong (the legendary king was not King
U-Thong
King U-thongThe Royal Institute. List of monarchs Ayutthaya''. ( th, พระเจ้าอู่ทอง) or King Ramathibodi I ( th, สมเด็จพระรามาธิบดีที่ ๑ ; 1314–1369) was the first king of ...
, founder of the Ayutthaya Kingdom). He had escaped
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
which was seriously spreading at the time. He travelled by ''kwian'' (
wagon
A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
) and came to park his wagon in the area, but was told that area was the resting place from the travellers who travelled by the kwian.
Later, King
Mongkut
Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...
(Rama IV) named the temple Wat Takien (วัดตะเคียน), and he jointly built the new temple with his son, Prince
Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...
(later King Chulalongkorn or Rama V). The temple was renovated and being raised to the royal temple and was renamed Wat Maha Phruettharam Worawihan by King Chulalongkorn.
This temple is regarded as one of the oldest and most remarkable temples in the area. Highlights of this temple include walls of the
ordination hall
The ordination hall is a Buddhist building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual ('' upasampada'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Patimokkha. The ordination hall ...
are covered with beautiful murals depict the 13 ascetic practices of Buddhism from just above the floor right up to the ceiling, regarded as different from other temples, and in the third building, the
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
with a 19 m (62 ft)
reclining Buddha
A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his he ...
in gold. Considered as the second largest reclining Buddha after the reclining Buddha of
Wat Pho
Wat Pho ( th, วัดโพธิ์, ), also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhism, Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Grand P ...
in
Rattanakosin Island
Rattanakosin Island ( th, เกาะรัตนโกสินทร์, , ) is a historic area in the Phra Nakhon District in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bordered by the Chao Phraya River to the west and various canals to the east t ...
.
The temple situated on the left side of Maha Phruettharam Road, a short road that separates from
Rama IV Road
Rama IV Road ( th, ถนนพระรามที่ 4, ; usually shortened to , ) is a main road in Bangkok, Thailand. It starts at Mo Mi Junction in the area of Bangkok's Chinatown in Samphanthawong and Pom Prap Sattru Phai Districts and e ...
inbound at Hua Lamphong Intersection opposite to
Bangkok Railway Station, more commonly known as Hua Lamphong, at the corner of Charoen Sawat 36 Bridge and parallel to
Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem
Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem ( th, คลองผดุงกรุงเกษม, ) is a canal (''khlong'') in Bangkok. It was dug in 1851 in order to serve as a new outer moat for the expanding city, extending its boundaries from the Rattanakosin ...
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
southward and bend slightly towards the west before terminates at the foot of
Phitthaya Sathian Bridge, where it combines
Charoen Krung Road
file:Charoen Krung Road April2021 ถนนเจริญกรุง.jpg, Shophouses along Charoen Krung road with the Sathorn Unique Tower in the vicinity (2021)
Charoen Krung Road ( th, ถนนเจริญกรุง, ) is a major road i ...
. The road is located on the edge of Bang Rak and
Samphanthawong
Samphanthawong ( th, สัมพันธวงศ์, ) is one of the 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district in area but has the highest population density of Bangkok's districts. ...
Districts.
[ It is served by only one BMTA's ]bus line
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
1.
Geography
Maha Phruettharam can be considered the northernmost area of the district.[
Neighbouring subdistricts are (from the north clockwise): ]Pom Prap
Pom Prap ( th, ป้อมปราบ, ) is one of five ''khwaengs'' (subdistricts) of Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok. In February 2019 it had a total population of 15,440 people (7,444 men, 7,956 women). The majority of the population c ...
of Pom Prap Sattru Phai District
Pom Prap Sattru Phai ( th, ป้อมปราบศัตรูพ่าย, , or popularly just called Pom Prap, ) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, 50 districts (khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) ...
, Rong Mueang
Rong Mueang ( th, รองเมือง, ) is a '' khwaeng'' (subdistrict) of Pathum Wan district, downtown Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous ...
and Wang Mai of Pathum Wan
Pathum Wan ( th, ปทุมวัน, ) is one of the fifty districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It lies just beyond the old city boundary of Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem, and was a rural area on the eastern outskirts of the city when roya ...
District (Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem and Rama IV Road are the divider lines), Si Phraya and Bang Rak in its district ( Si Phraya and Charoen Krung Roads are the divider lines), Talat Noi
Talat Noi or Talad Noi ( th, ตลาดน้อย, ) is a historic neighbourhood in Bangkok. It roughly occupies the area of the sub-district of the same name in Samphanthawong District. On the periphery of Bangkok's Chinatown, Talat Noi has b ...
of Samphanthawong District (Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem is a divider line).
Demography
In 2017 it had a total population of 11,609 people (5,396 men, 6,213 women) in 6,551 households.
Places
Important places
*Wat Maha Phruettharam Worawihan
* Mahaprutharam Girls' School
*Wat Kaew Jam Fah (Wat Kaew Fah Lang)
*Siphraya Polytechnic College
*Mandarin Hotel Bangkok
*Central Labour Court and Pathum Wan District Court
*Sapanluang Church
*The Second Church Samyan
*Hua Lamphong MRT Station
Hua Lamphong station ( th, สถานีหัวลำโพง, , ) is a rapid transit station on the Blue Line of the Bangkok MRT. It is located underground on Rama IV Road in front of Bangkok railway station, more commonly known locally a ...
(entrance 1, 4)
*Bangkok Centre Hotel
Transportation
*Rama IV Road
*Si Phraya Road
*Maha Phruettharam Road
*Maha Nakhon Road
References
{{Coord, 13, 44, 07.8, N, 100, 31, 18.1, E, region:TH_type:landmark, display=title
Subdistricts of Bangkok
Bang Rak district