Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram ( th, วัดเบญจมบพิตรดุสิตวนาราม; ) 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 ...

( wat) in the Dusit District of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in 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 estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. Also known as the marble temple, it is one of Bangkok's best-known temples and a major tourist attraction. It typifies Bangkok's ornate style of high gables, stepped-out roofs and elaborate finials.

Construction

Construction of the temple began in 1899 at the request 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 ...

after building his palace nearby. The temple's name literally means 'the Temple of the fifth King located near

Dusit Palace Dusit Palace ( th, พระราชวังดุสิต, RTGS: ''Phra Ratcha Wang Dusit'') is a compound of royal residences in Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed over a large area north of Rattanakosin Island between 1897 and 1901 by King Ch ...

'. It was designed by Prince Naris, a half-brother of the king, and is built of Italian

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

. It has display of Carrara marble pillars, a marble courtyard and two large ''singhas'' (lions) guarding the entrance to the bot. The interiors are decorated with crossbeams of lacquer and gold, and in shallow niches in the walls of paintings of important '' stupas'' all over the country. The cloister around the assembly hall houses 52 images of Buddha.

The temple

Inside the ordination hall (

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 ...

) is a Sukhothai-style Buddha statue named ''Phra Buddhajinaraja'', cast in 1920 after the original in Wat Mahathat in

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well a ...

. The main Buddha image is a copy of Phra Buddha Chinarat that resides in Phitsanulok in northern Thailand.Emmons 2008, p. 58 The ashes of King Chulalongkorn are buried beneath the statue. In the gallery surrounding the ordination hall are 52 Buddha statues each showing different '' mudras'' (signs), collected by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab for his king. The temple was featured in the famous The Amazing Race 9 as the 10th and final elimination pit-stop. The image of the temple's façade is visible on the reverse side of the Five-Baht coin of the Thai currency. The site contains the Benchamabophit National Museum. Wat Benchamabophit Pano

Worship and festivals

Merit makers come to the monks of the temple for getting alms every morning. Between 06:00–07:30 in the morning, monks line up on Nakhon Pathom with their bowls to receive donations of curry, rice, lotus buds, incense, toiletries and other essentials.Ridout 2009 The evening candlelight procession around the bot during the Buddhist festivals of Magha Puja (in February) and Visakha Puja (in May) are common at this temple.

Protection

In 2005, the temple was submitted to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

for consideration as a future

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Crime

This temple is sometimes used as part of a

Gem scam The gem scam is a confidence trick performed usually against tourists. The most known version occurs in Bangkok, Thailand as well as other cities in the country. It is one of the most pervasive scams in Thailand. Most of the shops are gold or je ...

in Bangkok.http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-scams-sapp46.html The scam involves tourists buying fake gem stones. This temple is part of the free tour offered to potential victims.

Gallery

File:Watbuddha.jpg, Buddha. Image:Phrapuddhajinnarat.jpg, Phra Buddhajinaraja Image:Watbenchamasalanam.jpg, " Sala Nam" at

khlong A ''khlong'' ( th, คลอง, ), alternatively spelt as ''klong'' () commonly refers to a canal in Thailand. These canals are spawned by the rivers Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, and Mae Klong, along with their tributaries particularly in the low ...

in temple compound Image:Marble-temple-ordainment.jpg, A new monk is

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

in the temple Image:Marble-temple-monks-inside.jpg,

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

s as seen from the outside (photography is not permitted inside the temple) Image:Wat Benchamabophit ubosot.jpg, In front of The Marble Temple Image:The Marble Temple-Door (Bangkok).jpg, Door

Notes

References

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External links

The Marble Temple of Thailand
{{Authority control Benchamabophit Museums in Bangkok Religious museums in Thailand Dusit district Marble buildings Thai Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok