Temple of Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

Temple of Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

Wat Pho is the famous temple of the huge reclining Buddha statue. It is 20 acres large and the largest wat in Bangkok. It is the oldest statue as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat bears practically no similitude to the originally constructed one, as it was almost fully rebuilt by Rama when the capital was moved to Bangkok.

The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and is designed to demonstrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet and the eyes are carved with mother-of-pearl adornment, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious distinctiveness of the true Buddha.

Wat Pho is also famous as Thailand's first university, and is the center for traditional Thai massage. The rich, famous and powerful have all been known to come here. Inscribed on stone in the walls of Wat Pho are all that was known about Thai massage dating from the reign of King Rama III. The large grounds of Wat Pho contain more than 1000 Buddha images in total, most from the ruins of the former capitals Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. The grounds are split in two by Chetuphon road. The northern section is generally the only one where most people go to, and it includes a large temple hall, enclosed by 394 bronze Buddha images. Outside the temple hall, there are 152 marble slabs depicting the second half of the epic Ramakian story.

The entrance to Wat Pho is on Chetuphon road. It is open every day and the opening hours are from 08.00 am to 5.00 pm, with a break from 12.00 pm to 1.00 pm. Guides can be hired at the entry but they are not actually needed. On Sundays, one can see students being taught traditional Thai dance and music.

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