Bangkok, Thailand: Headed out this morning to visit the Wat Pho temple complex, home of the reclining Buddha. The actual name for Wat Pho is Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn. I am really glad there is the shorter name or I may not have bothered writing about it.
There is a river that runs through the heart of Bangkok and provides an easy way to get around on a ferry system. Using that I was able to get up to the area near Wat Pho pretty quickly.
The views from the river are nice and it is a much more relaxing way to travel than the central artery (I-93) that runs through the middle of Boston.
Arriving in the Wat Pho area I wandered around the markets a bit and stopped in a restaurant for lunch. The food here is ridiculously cheap (<$7) even at a nice restaurant and the air conditioning provided welcome relief from the day’s heat.
Wandering back through the market storage areas I did get to see the largest rat I have ever seen in person, but he was actually kind of cute, so I didn’t mind too much.
Entering the Wat Pho complex there is a small worship area.
Within this area there is also a large gong that can be struck after a small donation. Alternatively, some will rub it until achieving the resonant frequencies and a much higher pitched ringing will then begin to echo throughout the area.
The main attraction at the site is the statue of the reclining Buddha. Built in 1832, this statue is meant to represent Buddha’s entry into Nirvana. At 15 meters high and 46 meters long, it is difficult to capture in its entirety.
As one walks along the length of the Buddha, there are murals on the opposite wall.
At the far end of the room one gets a full view of the statue and the enormity of the feet.
The soles of the feet are inlaid with multiple images made of mother-of-pearl. Each of these are detailed and quite intricate.
All along the walkway around the statue are multiple smaller shrines.
Along the wall down the back of the statue are a row of metal urns. Visitors can purchase cups of small metal coins to be deposited as offerings into these urns. The rhythmic sound of coins being dropped into these bowls was quite nice as it echoed throughout the hall.
Finally, just before the exit, one sees the back of the Buddha’s head, held up by his hand and resting on two large pillows.
At multiple locations throughout this complex and on the streets are signs reminding people to respect the Buddha.
However, based upon my observations in the markets, this rule is not well followed.
Wandering the rest of the complex one sees multiple guardian statues at gates and entryways.
The sheer number of Buddha statues within the complex is actually quite overwhelming – over one thousand in total.
Additionally, there are also several more important icons, such as in the ordination hall and other buildings in the complex.
There are also numerous chedis and other statues to see as well.
Exhausted from the heat and the walking, I eventually exited the complex. In need of refreshment, I headed over to Khao San road. Looking much like the tourist trap I expected, it was at least a decent spot to stop for a drink and watch the crowd flow by.
Eventually, I made my way back to the hotel. The only other activity for the day was a brief walk through the neighborhood around my hotel and a delicious dinner of Dim Sum – again so cheap that I had to go back and make sure that they had charged me enough.