Wat Benchamabophit
Encyclopedia
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram is a Buddhist temple
(wat
) in the Dusit
district of Bangkok
, Thailand
. Also known as the marble temple, it is one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples and a major tourist attraction. It typies Bangkok's ornate style of high gables, stepped-out roofs and elobrate finials.
after building his palace nearby. The temple's name literally means the Temple of the fifth King located nearby Dusit Palace. It was designed by Prince Naris, a half-brother of the king, and is built of Italian marble
. It has display of carrarra marble pillars, a marble courtyard and two large singha
s guarding the entrace 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 main Buddha iamge is a copy of Phra Buddha Chinarat that resides in Phitsanulok in northern Thailand. 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.
for consideration as a future World Heritage Site
.
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
(wat
Wat
A wat is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" means "school".- Introduction :...
) in the Dusit
Dusit
Dusit is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand.The district forms the main administrative center of Thailand, as both the national parliament as well as the royal palace are located in this district, as well as several ministries...
district of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Also known as the marble temple, it is one of Bangkok's most beautiful temples and a major tourist attraction. It typies Bangkok's ornate style of high gables, stepped-out roofs and elobrate finials.
Construction
Construction of the temple began in 1899 at the request of King ChulalongkornChulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
after building his palace nearby. The temple's name literally means the Temple of the fifth King located nearby Dusit Palace. It was designed by Prince Naris, a half-brother of the king, and is built of Italian marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. It has display of carrarra marble pillars, a marble courtyard and two large singha
Singha
Singha, , is a 5% alcohol-by-volume pale lager produced by Boon Rawd Brewery. It is also available in 5% abv draught version as Singha Lager Draft, and the new 3.5% abv Singha Light introduced in 2006.- History :...
s guarding the entrace 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) is a Sukhothai-style Buddha statue named Phra Buddhajinaraja, cast in 1920 after the original located in Wat Mahathat in PhitsanulokPhitsanulok
Phitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
. The main Buddha iamge is a copy of Phra Buddha Chinarat that resides in Phitsanulok in northern Thailand. 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
Damrong Rajanubhab
Ditsawarakuman Damrong Rajanubhab was the founder of the modern Thai education system as well as the modern provincial administration...
for his king. The temple was featured in the famous The Amazing Race 9
The Amazing Race 9
The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on...
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.
Worship and Festivals
Merit makers come to the monks of the temple for getting alms every morning. Between 6-7:30 in the morning, the monks line up on Nakhon Phantom with their bowls to receive donations of curry, rice, lotus buds, incense, toilet papers and coco-cola. The evening candlelight procession around the bot during the Buddhist festivals of Maha Puja (in February) and Visakha Puja (in May) are common for this temple.Protection
In 2005, the temple was submitted to UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
for consideration as a future World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.