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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Wat Suthat Thep Wararam วัดสุทัศนเทพวราราม

Courtyard & Wihan
Wat Suthat (its shorter name) may not have the touristic attraction of other temples. And yet it remains an important and interesting site in Rattanakosin area.
In Thailand, there are 23 royal temples of the first grade and 10 in Bangkok alone. Wat Suthat is one of those. King Rama I (1737-1809), Bangkok's founder, started its construction in 1807, on the 27th anniversary of the new capital. But it took many years to have it fully completed till Rama III (1787-1851) in 1847. There are several aspects, which make this temple rather different besides being one of the oldest and largest:
  • it has a large courtyard with many Chinese sculptures,
  • the courtyard is surrounded by cloisters housing gilded Buddha images,
  • the main hall (wihan) has three particularities: its unusual height, its imposing Buddha image and its remarkable murals.
  • It is located next to the Giant Swing [ref. My other article on this monument].  
    Gallery of Buddhas
As it is often the case, the whole complex has a worship area and monastic quarters. It covers 10 acres in a rectangular plan surrounded by a 949-meter long wall.
The inner courtyard gives an idea of the dimensions of the Wat. It holds a few Chinese pagodas, stone statues of Chinese soldiers and also a few nice bronze horses. It is said they were all shipped from China as ballast in rice boats at the end of the 18th century.
The exceptionally large courtyard is surrounded by a monastery-like gallery containing 150 statues of Buddha.
The Wihan stands in the middle of the courtyard. It has a magnificent roofline. It is massive and exceptionally tall as it houses a huge sitting Buddha image in
Sitting Buddha
Mara position. Phra Buddha Shakyamuni is a 13th century, 8-meter high bronze statue that had been shipped by river boat from the former capital of Sukothai in the north. The temple was specially built to house the bronze Buddha on King Rama I's orders. The statue is highly revered and is now covered with gold. Its base contains the ashes of King Rama VIII (1925-1946) brother of the actual King, Rama IX, who died mysteriously six months after his coronation. The exceptional quality and number of the mural paintings make the fame of Wat Suthat. It seems that the entire building has been covered with images representing the 24 previous lives of Buddha or scenes of former daily life, whereas the columns depict the early history of Bangkok. Art experts say that the paintings differ from the traditional Thai painting methods and reveal a Western influence. The murals are among the most important and extensive in the country. A partial restoration was done in the late 80s but some still seem to be ready for a revamp.
Mural scene inside the Wihan
Wat Suthat is a Buddhist temple closely associated with Brahman Hinduism. This is why the Giant Swing stands right in front its main gate and that there are two Hindu shrines on both sides.
Like other monuments of Rattanakosin, Wat Suthat has been submitted for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Christian Sorand,
Bangkok, August 2014

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