Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Buddhist Thai temple on the bank of the

Palm River Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm ( ...

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It was founded in 1981 as well as dedicated and registered as a temple on 19 May 1981. Besides a temple, it acts as an education and support centre. The temple's grounds host a Sunday food

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

with

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong Odor, aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David ...

History

In 1981, Phramongkolthep Moli, an assistant abbot, came to meet with Buddhists from various cities in Florida, and agreed to build the first temple in Tampa, Florida, which has a high Thai Buddhist population. A temple was recorded as ''Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida Inc., Thai Buddhist Temple, Interbay Area Florida''. ''It was founded'' on 19 May 1981 under the

Thai Sangha Assembly Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode blo ...

. The present main prayer hall was built in 2007.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

, the king of Thailand, visited the temple that year to present robes for a monk.

References

{{Reflist Asian-American culture in Florida Buddhism in Florida Religious buildings and structures in Tampa, Florida Thai-American culture Buddhist temples in Florida Overseas Thai Buddhist temples