Wat Suwan Khiri, also spelled Wat Suwan Keree ( th, วัดสุวรรณคีรี) is an ancient Thai Buddhist temple in

Thonburi __NOTOC__ Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern Bangkok. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River had made it an important garrison town, which is ...

side of Bangkok. The temple is formerly and still colloquially known as "Wat Khi Lek" (วัดขี้เหล็ก) owing to a lot of growth edible plants

Siamese cassia ''Senna siamea'', also known as Siamese cassia, kassod tree, cassod tree and cassia tree, is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, although its exact origin is unknown. It is a medium-size, evergr ...

(''Senna siamea'') or ''khi lek'' in Thai language. It was built in the end of King Narai's reign of

Ayutthaya period 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 ...

around 1685. The interesting point of this temple is its location, it is located on the bank where two canals confluence were

Khlong Bangkok Noi 250px, Khlong Bangkok Noi near Wat Sri Sudaram Khlong Bangkok Noi ( th, คลองบางกอกน้อย, ; lit 'Small Bangkok Canal') is a '' khlong'' (คลอง; canal) in Bangkok; its name is the origin of the name Bangkok Noi Dis ...

and

Khlong Chak Phra Khlong Chak Phra ( th, คลองชักพระ, ) is a ''khlong'' (canal) in Bangkok's Thonburi area. It separates from Khlong Bangkok Noi at front of Wat Suwan Keree and terminates at the confluence of khlongs Mon and Bangkok Yai. It s ...

, which is unsuitable position according to the beliefs of Thai people since ancient times. Hence, the temple therefore had to bring a standing Buddha image in attitude of pacifying the ocean enshrined in a pavilion at this area there to protect the temple from all evils. In the Rattanakosin period, Prince

Maha Sura Singhanat Somdet Phra Bawornrajchao Maha Sura Singhanat ( th, สมเด็จพระบวรราชเจ้ามหาสุรสิงหนาท; , lit: ''His Royal Highness, Maharurasinghanat, Prince of Front Palace'') (1 November 1744 – ...

(younger brother of King Rama I) renovated the whole temple and renamed to "Wat Suwan Khiri" (golden mountain temple) in the year 1795. On October 22, 1929, King

Prajadhipok Prajadhipok ( th, ประชาธิปก, RTGS: ''Prachathipok'', 8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941), also Rama VII, was the seventh monarch of Siam of the Chakri dynasty. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and ...

(Rama VII) presided over the private ''

Kathin Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season retreat for Theravada Buddhists in Bangladesh (known as Kaṭhina Cībar Dān), Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand ...

'' ceremony.

References

{{reflist Bangkok Noi district Buddhist temples in Bangkok Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok Religious buildings and structures completed in 1685 17th-century Buddhist temples