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Introduction
(1) The chapel section (Buddhavasa) is consisted of churches Pagodas, Monastery halls and Buddha images and
(2) The residential section (Sangghavas) is a living area for monks.
Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmonglaram more general called as Wat Pho was founded in the reign of Ayutthaya period and was originally known as Wat Phodharam.
In the year 1768, When the king Taksin declare Thonburi as the new capital city of Siam Wat Phodharam was one of the city’s main temples.
Later king Rama I of Chakri Dynasty managed the restoration of Wat Phodhaam as a Royal temple during a celebration in 1801, the king renamed Wat Phrachetuphon Vimolmongklavasa which was again changed to Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmongkalaram in the reign of king Rama IV. Some ashes of the king Rama I was also kept under the base of the main Buddha image or Phra Buddha Teva Patimakorn in the main chapel.
Background
During the reign of king Rama III, the temple was restored under king’s Royal command. The Restoration lasted 16 year, the period of time he had created berated beautiful Chinese arts as a nowadays. The king III ordered wise men to write down many fields of knowledge and subjects onto stone plates and then fixed to columns of monastic halls. By this reason he wished to provide better and broader education for Thai people who wanted to student by themselves.Knowledge is on varied subjects for example history of temple, sanitation treatise, medicine, and such as Thai treatise, medicine, and such as Thai tradition massage, literatures, proverbs, and precedence, Buddhism such as meditation, warfare, geology and astronomy.
Wat Pho regarded as the first center of public education and became “the first University” for people in Thailand. The reclining Buddha, 49 meters long and 12 matters high is composed of blaster and finished in gold leaf overlay and inlaid mother-Pearl soles.
Wat Pho is open daily from 08.00 a.m.-05.00 p.m. Admission Fee is 20 baht for foreigner.
The Attraction Places
1. The sheltered Gate
The first point of interesting is at 16 sheltered gates along the wall of the temple. All gates were built in a crooned style and decorated with beautiful glazed tiles. We can see figures of “Lan Than Nai Tvarapala”, Chinese rock giants holding weapons in hands, standing on both side as the gate guardian on the entrance of Wat Pho.
2. Main Chapel (Phra Ubosoth)
The assembly Hall is used performing ritual of the monastic community. Phra Ubosoth is the heart of the Monastery and would be a monk center. This Phra Ubosoth was constructed in the reign of King Rama I in Ayutthaya style and reconstructed in the reign of King Rama III.
All sheltered windows and doors made of hard wood with colours-glazed tiles and entrance door.
The principal Buddha image is Phra Buddha Deva Patimakorn in the Posture of concentration, and some ashes of King Rama I were kept under the base of the Buddha image.
3. Corner Phra Prang
Phra Prang or Phra Stupa is a term for a great pagoda. Each corner of the chapel yard, there are 4 pagodas being decorated in grey marble. With four statues called “four keepers of the world” the guardian Divinities standing in four hollow places at the base.
The Prang on the northeastern corner called “Phra Buddha Manggala Kayabanchana” the southeastern corner “Phra Buddha Dhammacak” The Southwestern corner “Phra Buddha Viniyapitaka” the North-western corner called “Phra Buddha Abhidhamma”
4. Phra Rabieng and Phra Vihara Thit
The main chapel stands at the center of its location are connected by 4 main Viharas cloisters. Phra Rabieng is cloister surrounding the chapel. There remain 394 ancient images of Buddha. The inner side cloister contains 150 Buddha with 244 images being located on the outer side. These images belong to the periods of Chiengsaen, Sukhothai, Uthong and Ayutthaya were taken from Sukhothai, Phisnuloke, Sawankaloke, Lopburi and Ayatthaya.
The images of Lord Buddha Pang Mara vichai sitting under the Bodhi tree is in the East Vihara. Phra Buddha Loknart Sasadaram standing in East Vihara was brought from Wat Phra Sri Sanpej in Ayatthaya.
In the South Vihara, there is Buddha image preaching the first sermon to the five disciples. In the North there is Phra Paleylai image. In the west Vihara, there is Phra Pang Nakprok.
5. Phra Vihara Khod
Phra Vihara Khod is an area of the main building such main chapel and pagodas. Corner Vihaha, there are 4 Viharas located at the corner of the walls surrounding the chapel. Each Vihara has its own name. the interesting things about these Viharos are their shapes. They all have a letter “L” Shape buildings are used to enshrine Buddha images:
(1) The “Phrachai” Vihara khood in the Northeast. The image of enlightened Lord Buddha under the Bodhi tree in the Southeast.
(2) The Vihara khod Nadaeng in the Northweast.
(3) Vihara khod “Krommaluang Ghumpoun” in the Southwest. In the Vihara khod stands a status of a Thai Prince named Krommaluang Chumporn.
6. Single based Chedi
To build a Chedi or stupa is a way of paying to the Lord Buddha. The Pagoda usually contains the Buddha’s relic and sacred objects. Single, each group comprises of five pagodas. The group based Chedi consists of a big pagoda in the middle surrounded by four pagodas on single base. Each pagoda contains the Holy Relic of the Buddha and was constructed during the reign of King Rama I
7. Phra Chedi Rai
There are 71 small pagodas placed at closer in a similar style to of the Single - based Chedi and built during the reign of King Rama III. The purpose of these pagodas was keeping Buddha relic and ashes of Royal descendants.
8. Phra Maha pagodas of the four Reigns
The temple is a Kingdom of pagodas, as there are 99 of them; there are four pagodas of the four reigns.
(1) Phra Maha Chedi Sri Sanphetch with green tile mosaic was built in the reign of King Rama I to cover the ruined image of Buddha Phra Sri Sanphetch was brought from the Royal palace in Ayutthaya.
(2) Phra Maha Chedi Dilok with white tile mosaic was built in the reign of King Rama III to represent the King Rama II.
(3) Phra Maha Chedi Muni with the yellow tile mosaic was built in the reign of King Rama III for the praise of the Lord Buddha.
(4) Phra Maha Chedi Song Phra Srisuriyothai with dark blue tile mosaic in the same style of the Ayatthaya period was built in the reign of King Rama IV for the praise of the Lord Buddha.
Why do we have four big pagodas for nine King of dynasty? The answer is that King IV Phra Mongkut commanded to stop building more big pagodas in this temple.
9. The Reclining Buddha (Phranon)
This Cathedral sleeping Buddha was built in the reign of King Rama III. This Cathedral is a size of comparable to the church or main chapel. The Building is containing the Buddha image, the reclining Buddha.
The image of sleeping Buddha is made of cement bricks covered with gold leaves. The reclining Buddha is 46 meters long, 15 meters high.
The dimension of the face is 5 meters in length and 3 meters in breadth.The most interesting feature is the mother of inlaid design on the soles of feet 5 meters long and 1.50 meters wide showing the 108 auspicious signs of luck literally called Mongol 108.
The reclining Buddha represents the Lord Buddha in his posture of Nirana in Salawan wood of Kusinara city in India.
(10) Phra Mondop (The scripture Hall)
The scripture hall was built in the reign of King Rama II. The scripture Hall of temple, which is a square building surrounded by a decorated spire top with beautiful tiled decoration.
The Mondop keeps a small library of Tripitaka or teachings of Buddha. The mural paintings about the beginning of Ramayana, Songkran tradition and a Mon tradition are shown on the inner walls and outer side was decorated with verse form in Thai poetry.
The rock giants what were famous as Wat Pho giants in the fight with Wat Jaeng (Wat Arun) stand on both sides of the sheltered gates.