Wat Sitaram ( th, วัดสิตาราม) is a Thai monastery in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

, located on the Damrong Rak Road near Khlong Maha Nak

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 ...

between

Wat Saket Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan ( th, วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร, usually shortened to Wat Saket is a Buddhist temple (''wat'') in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple dates ba ...

and

Bobae Market Bobae Tower and Prince Palace Hotel Street stalls Bobae Market ( th, ตลาดโบ๊เบ๊, , ), usually shortened to ''Bobae'', is a well-known cheap clothing market, both retail and wholesale. The market area has two huge wholesale sh ...

, considered to be the temple that is closest to Wat Saket, or temple of Golden Mount.

Description

It is a civil temple, formerly name was Wat Khok Mu (วัดคอกหมู, "pigsty temple"). It was told that during King

Rama II Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...

's reign in early Rattanakosin period Chao Krom Yim (เจ้ากรมยิ้ม), who was a Mon (Peguan) persuaded the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

who mostly were pig raisers in the area to build a temple called Wat Khok Mu. Later

Vajirananavarorasa Vajirananavarorasa (also spelled ''Wachirayan, Watchirayanawarorot'', correct Pali spelling: Vajirañāṇavarorasa, th, วชิรญาณวโรรส, full title ''Somdet Phramahasamanachao Kromphraya Vajirananavarorasa'' สมเด� ...

supreme patriarch Sangharaja (Pāli: ''sangha'' religious community + ''raja'' ruler, king, or prince) is the title given in many Theravada Buddhist countries to a senior monk who is the titular head either of a monastic fraternity ( nikaya), or of the ''Sangha'' t ...

at that time has changed its name to Wat Sitaram. It derived from conversion of

Pali language Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

, from a word of Yim (the temple founder's name), and a word of ''aram'' (the temple, or monastery), ''

ubosot 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 ...

'' (ordination hall) of the temple has Chinese styled rooftop covered by Thai styled tiles. The gables are decorated with floral design stuccos and Chinese glazed ceramics.

References

{{commons category, Wat Sitaram Pom Prap Sattru Phai district Saket Thai Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok