Thursday, March 8, 2012

Calator in Thailanda 33. Wat Phra Kaeo sau Templul lui Budha de Smarald / Traveller in Thailand 33. Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of Emerald Buddha

Any tourist who is for the first time in Bangkok will go to Rattanakosin area, where the Grand Palace with the Emerald Budha Temple stay, near the bank of Chao Praya.

Rattanakosin, the name King Rama I gave to this place is reminding of the famous Emerald Budha statue. According a chronicle written by a Thai mong, the statue was found in Chiang Mai in 1517. It is said that King Tilok brought it there on 1481. However, on  1552 the statue was moved to Laos and remained there till 1778 when the future king Rama I took it and left it in the Wat Arun, which was the royal temple during that time. Only in 1785 the Emerald Budha took his actual place, in the Wat Phra Kaeo.

It is prohibited to take photos in the temple, but the statue may be photographed from outside, using your zoom. A more performant camera than mine would have done a better job...

At the entrance in the temple a nice pair of lions represent very well the Khmer art. The walls outside are adorned with garudas and nagas, and you see everywhere gold and colors.

Very attractive is the closed gallery called Phra Rabiang, with murals depicting stories of Ramakien (the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana).

The kings of Chakri dynasty have added something new in the courtyard of the temple. So is the nice belfry or the small Budha chapel (Ho Phra Khanthara Rat) used to invoke rains.

Una dintre primele directii spre care se indreapta calatorul venit prima data la Bangkok este Rattanakosin, pentru a vizita Marele Palat si Templul lui Budha de Smarald, care se afla in interiorul sau.

In 1782, regele Rama I a numit capitala Siamului Rattanakosin, care inseamna "Pastratoarea imaginii din piatra pretioasa", o referire clara la Budha de Samarald care fusese recuperat din Laos in urma unei campanii militare si instalat la Wat Arun. Conform unei cronici scrise de un calugar Thai din Chiang Mai in 1517, statuia cioplita dintr-un bloc de jasp a fost adusa acolo de Regele Tilok, in 1481. Mai tarziu, in 1552 ea a fost dusa la Luang Prabang si apoi la Vientiane, in Laos, unde a ramas pana in 1778, cand viitorul rege Rama I a dus-o la Thon Buri, in Wat Arun care era, pe atunci, templul regal al palatului regal. In 1785, statuia a ajuns in locul in care poate fi vazuta si astazi.

Ca peste tot in palat si aici este aglomeratie. Credinciosi, calugari si turisti se amesteca la intrarea in templu. Descaltatul este obligatoriu, iar in interiorul templului fotografiatul este interzis.
ubosot
Faimoasa statuie se poate fotografia din afara, de pe terasa. Ea are doar 66 cm si este plasata  in busabok, o constructie din lemn cu un acoperis in etaje. Un aparat de fotografiat mai performant ca al meu ar fi putut mai mult...
 Budha de Samarald
Intrarea este pazita de o pereche de lei fantastici, din bronz, ilustrativi pentru arta khmera. Acoperisul terasei se sprijina pe stalpi frumos decorati si intreg exteriorul iti ia ochii.
Exteriorul ubosotului este inconjurat de un brau de garuda si naga, foarte fotogenice.
De jur imprejur, tot ce vezi te uimeste. O risipa de aur si culoare te fac sa te crezi in 1001 de nopti.
Nu mai putin impresionant este Phra Rabiang, o galerie dubla, inchisa cu splendide picturi murale avand subiecte din Ramakien, varianta thailandeza a Ramayanei.
Phra Rabiang
 la odihna
Templul si curtea sa ilustreaza istoria dinastiei Chakri, fiecare rege adaugand cate ceva. Astfel, Rama al IV-lea (1851-1868) a adaugat, intre altele, clopotnita
 clopotnita (Ho Rakhang)
si o capela a lui Budha (Ho Phra Khanthara Rat) utilizata pentru invocarea ploii.
Ho Phra Khanthara Rat


14 comments:

Kumiko said...

These golden decoration of this temple are very gorgeous and beautiful!
This is an amazing architecture.

Traveling Hawk said...

This temple is on the grounds of the Grand Palace, Kumiko (I will write later about it), and I must say that everything there is wonderful!

VP said...

Some scary monsters and some beautiful other things. Great pictures, as always...

Traveling Hawk said...

Thanks a lot, VP!

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

The Thai temple is full of grace and at the same time magnificence !

Traveling Hawk said...

So it is, Wong! Thanks for the comment.

Randy said...

So many wonderful things to photograph. Your camera sure gets a workout.

Traveling Hawk said...

It rests in between trips, Randy:)

Helma said...

Again lots of pictures Treavling Hawk, but not less beautiful. Beautiful temples and boedahbeelden and lots of gold. I think that blue is lapis lazuli.

You have a nice picture as well outside of the picture received. The colored decorations are a feast for the eyes.

The gallery gesl then you also have this good.

Greetings, Helma

Traveling Hawk said...

I liked every paiting in the gallery, Helma! They were exquisite.

RIZALENIO said...

The artworks on walls caught my interest. They are wonderful.

Traveling Hawk said...

They are exquisite, Rizalenio! Thanks for the comment.

magda said...

Great pictures!
This place was visited, it is amazing!
many kisses

Traveling Hawk said...

Dear Magda, thanks a lot!