Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Looking up at the Reclining Buddha
January 24th, 2021
After yesterday’s virtual visit at the Grand Palace of Thailand, today we’re at Wat Phra Chetuphon and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. These sites are located within walking distance of each other in Bangkok Old Town. Wat Phra Chetuphon traces back to the late 1600s, while the Reclining Buddha was created in the 1830s.
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha holds an enormous figure reclined against one arm, extending 150 feet/46 meters in length and covered in gold leaf.
Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Temple of the Reclining Buddha
The feet of the Buddha are flexed and bare, each sole holding 108 auspicious designs made of inlaid mother of pearl. Each toe has a repeated spiral pattern like a fingerprint.
Just past the Reclining Buddha, 108 bronze bowls extend in a line. You can take a cup of coins and drop one in each bowl for good fortune.
The Cloister
Much like the Grand Palace of Thailand, the grounds of this complex are filled with guardian figures and ornate chedis, many of them in a long line leading around the cloister.
Tomorrow we’ll visit Chatuchak market and have a look at Bangkok’s ubiquitous street food.
See you then,
Kelly
Post of the Day: Adding a bit of light to the darkness as we get through the pandemic together. This series features travel photos from my archives, shared with you while staying close to home.
Wat Phra Chetuphon
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Beautiful pictures. Thanks.
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Thank you!
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Still a lot of gold today. There is also this impression of accumulation, all these identical or similar statues, all these stupas so richly decorated, I have the feeling of being visually saturated. And this is not a criticism of your photos, I believe that they show the reality.
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True! From what I’ve seen of Thailand, I would say these two sites are the pinnacle of ornamentation. Step outside of them, and the streets are the opposite. Pair this with the beauty of the north as well as the southern coastlines, and a diverse country comes into focus. It’s the whole mix that (for me) makes Thailand irresistible. Less gold tomorrow, I promise!
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Amazing! The temples are so rich and I don’t mean literally! The artwork so intricate, amazing details, and the way you captured and described them. The details on the toe are awesome 👌👍
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I liked the toes, too. Probably the biggest pair of feet I’ve ever seen, LOL! 🙂
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Great photos, the gold really is beautiful 😍
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Thank you! Yes, truly glowing.
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I remember this place. Just gorgeous. So shiny and golden!
Alison
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Super shiny! Maybe the shiniest ever! 🙂
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The reclining Buddha remind me it’s nap time… 🙂
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Ha ha! 🙂
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This Buddha is breathtaking. We appreciated it when we visited, but your post has a lot more information that makes me wonder even more how it was created and paid for!!! This is one statue that must be seen in person.
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Strangely, I couldn’t find much information about the construction of it or how it came to be. Makes it even more mysterious and beautiful!
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And I can never remember much that tour guides tell us! It was commissioned by some high person who seemed to have everything but the world’s largest reclining Buddha. Pretty unreal how big and how many people it must have taken to complete.
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