Wat Ratchabophit () or formally Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaram Ratchaworawihan ( th, วัดราชบพิธสถิตมหาสีมารามราชวรวิหาร), is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

Atsadang Road Atsadang Road ( th, ถนนอัษฎางค์, , ) is a road in inner Bangkok (Rattanakosin Island) overlaps four Subdistricts of Phra Nakhon District, Bowon Niwet, San Chaopho Suea, Wat Ratchabophit, and Wang Burapha Phirom. It's start ...

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 ...

, along

Khlong Khu Mueang Doem 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 ...

, not far from

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 ...

and the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

. The temple was built during the reign of

King 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� ...

(Rama V). The abbot of the temple is Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana, the current

Supreme Patriarch of Thailand __NOTOC__ The Supreme Patriarch of Thailand or Sangharaja ( th, สังฆราช; ) is the head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand. His full title is ''Somdet Phra Saṅgharāja Sakalamahāsaṅghapariṇāyaka'' ( th, สมเด� ...

Architecture

Inside the temple

The temple features a unique layout, with its and joined by a circular courtyard, at the center of which stands a gilded chedi. The golden '' chedi'' (43m high) is covered with orange-coloured tiles and on top of the chedi, there is a golden ball. There is a relic of Buddha inside and the ''chedi'' was built in Sri Lankan style.Liedtke 2011, p. 57 The ordination hall has 10 door panels and 28 window panels each decorated with

gilded black lacquer ''Lai rot nam'' ( th, ลายรดน้ำ) or gilded black lacquer is a technique in the Thai art, traditional Thai decorative arts consisting of the application of black lacquer with gold inlay to surfaces. It was used in the decoration of w ...

on the inside.Spooner 2011, p. 96 The interior of the temple or ''bod'', is inspired by gilded Italian architecture that Rama V saw on a visit to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The entrance doors are 3m high and are decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl, which represents various medals and decorations. The drum tower is a two-storeyed one with hexagonal spires decorated with

Benjarong ''Benjarong'' (Thai เบญจรงค์) porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence o ...

ceramic ''

naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...

s'' and Erawan heads.

Royal Cemetery

On the west end of the temple grounds is the Royal Cemetery, with numerous monuments to major and minor members of the

Thai Royal Family The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...

, most notably those in the immediate family of King Chulalongkorn. One of the memorials, the Rangsi Vadhana Memorial, contains the ashes of

Mahidol Adulyadej Mahitala Dhibesra Adulyadej Vikrom, the Prince Father ( th, สมเด็จพระมหิตลาธิเบศร อดุลยเดชวิกรม พระบรมราชชนก , 1 January 1892 – 24 September 1929), f ...

Srinagarindra Princess Srinagarindra ( th, ศรีนครินทรา; ; 21 October 1900 – 18 July 1995) née Sangwan Talapat ( th, สังวาลย์ ตะละภัฏ; ) was a member of the Royal Thai Family and the House of Mahidol, whi ...

and

Galyani Vadhana Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas ( th, กัลยาณิวัฒนา; ; 6 May 1923 – 2 January 2008) was a princess of Thailand and the elder sister of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). She w ...

. A Christian church is on the grounds, as are many chedis and Khamer-face towers.

Gallery

File:Bangkok wat ratchabopit 003.jpg, View from outside the circular cloister File:Mausoleum of Savang Vadhana.jpg, Mausoleum of Savang Vadhana File:Bkkwatrajbopit0409d.jpg, View from outside File:Bangkok wat ratchabopit 021.jpg, The front entrance with an image of watchman File:Bangkok wat ratchabopit 016.jpg, door image File:Wat rajabophit a02.jpg, Outside view

Notes

References

* *

External links

Ratchabophit 19th-century Buddhist temples 1860s in Siam Thai Dhammayut Buddhist temples Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok Gothic Revival architecture in Thailand {{Buddhist-temple-stub