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Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon) or "The Temple of Reclining Buddha".
It is located south of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It houses
the 46 meters long reclining Buddha image which is the second
largest reclining Buddha in the country. The most interesting
feature of this image is "the inlaid mother-of-pearl design
on the sole of the feet showing the 108 auspicious signs arrayed
in 67 small squares around the 'chakra' or a disc at the center".
The compound of Wat Pho is divided into
two sections. The southern part is for the resident monks. The
northern part includes a large Wihan, a large bot (ubosot) or
a ordination hall. The inner and outer galleries are lined with
788 Buddha images of various styles. This is "the largest
collection of Buddha images in Thailand". Wat Pho is the
center for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai
medicine and Thai massage. King Rama III wanted this temple "to
be a center of learning for the general public and had texts
on various subjects inscribed on stone slabs for public study
as seen today". The temple has 95 stupas of various sizes.
The four large stupas were built on separate occasions to commemorate
the first four kings of the Chakri Dynasty. |
