If you have been following us for a little while, you have probably realized that I am a sucker for white, gold and all things bright. So you can imagine how I felt coming back to the main temple of Thailand and spiritual core of Thai Buddhism, Wat Phra Kaew (temple of Emerald Buddha) gleams and glitters with so much glory that I was not sure whether I was dreaming or about to faint. Pity Enrique was not here to shoot some wide angle glory out of such grandeur, but I think I managed to get pretty decent shots for you to get a feeling of what awaits there. As explained in our Bangkok Weekend guide, there's no problem coming in there dressed with anything sleeveless or short, it will just add some waiting time (at the borrowing clothes queue) and require 200 BAHT deposit, which you will get back upon returning the clothes.
Wat Phra Kaew is a huge complex built in 1782, that needs at least one hour to explore. The first thing that shocks as you come in are the spires of the three primary chedi built on different styles and housing relics and manuscripts (one is covered in tiles, another colorful glass and the last with ceramic) they salute you from the distance, as announcement of the magic awaiting within the temple walls.
Once inside, it is a sensory overdose. I did not know where to go first, where to look, what to shoot. It is simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. The mixture of colors, the height of the structures, the colorful teeny weeny gem-like details anywhere you look. The statues. The sun. The blue sky.
Kinarees are half-sawm half-women creatures from Hindu-Buddhist mythology, that stand around Prasat Phra Thep Bidon hall.
All this magic is there, just to surround the "photograph-not-allowed" Emerald Buddha. A statue of 66cm carved from nephrite (a type of jade) that sits inside the main building that, as you can see in the last image, is incredibly high.
The walls surrounding the many temples are all covered with the murals of the Ramakian (i..e Thai version of the Indian Ramayana epic). This is a huge wall, completely covered by one mural after the other, telling the very long story of Rama and Sita, how he rescued her from the evil king (Ravana) with the help of monkey king (Hanuman).
Each entrance is guarded by a pair of huge yaksha (here we can see his back). One with green and the other with white skin, that are also inherited from Hindu mythology. They remind me, to some extent of the guardians typically painted at the gates of both Shinto (Japan) and Taoist (China) temples.
People are covering "emerald buddha" copies on small leaves of gold, as offering to grant their prayers. Same go with incense sticks and the very Thai, flower crowns, which are seen in tiny temples all over the city too. Basically, each and every large company building has a mini-temple by the entrance, where people leave this kind of flowers everyday, as offering. It is something very unique of Bangkok's streets, that makes them unusually colorful and holy to a certain extent.
After a gold overdose, the eyes welcome the more subdued yet extremely intricate porcelain decorations. In pastel hues, these provide a more calm feeling and somewhat balance the overwhelming gold everywhere.
Final complex of our visit, the former Royal Residence. Mixing Western and Thai architecture, it is so ridiculously huge that there was no human way to fit it in a decent shot. So I hope you get a feeling of Wat Phra Kaew magnitude, with this photographic tour.
2 comments
I like your post, I was in Thailand too. But only in Chiang Mai city. I wanted to see Wachirathan Waterfall - the largest waterfall on the highest mountain in Thailand, so for that event I rented a scooter on good service Cat Motors http://catmotors.net/. And by the way, they showed me route, which was bring me to my point.
Other places to visit are Wiang Kum Kam or the Underground Ancient City, Mae Sa Elephant Camp, Chiang Mai Zoo, Doi Inthanon National Park, etc. check it out Don't miss the chilling thrills of Chiang Mai Night Safari. If lucky, you can see lions, tigers or bears on the prowl. Time permitting; you can also discover the life at Doi Pui Tribal Village and National Park and the life of Karen Long Neck Tribe.
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