International

Wat Pho: More Than Just A Reclining Buddha Statue (Bangkok)

Wat Pho, or the Temple of Reclining Buddha as it is popularly known and having a reclining Buddha statue, is really very impressive. It is located in Old Bangkok, on Sanamchai Road, just opposite another amazing tourist attraction The Grand Palace. The whole premise should be spread around 6 acres.

Some Clicks of the Reclining Buddha Statue, Up Close

There is an Entrance Fee of 100 THB per person and the temple is open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. Tourists are expected to wear modestly, without showing off skin. With Asians, this is never a problem, because they are mostly covered from head to toe 🙂 But for others, the temple authorities have made a provision of a green-coloured long coat, for free. If you are in shorts or deep neck T, you are asked to wear this coat, before entering the Main Temple (Reclining Buddha Statue). Upon coming out, you can handover the coat same place. Elsewhere within the premises, you can carry on as you are.

Reclining Buddha Statue is beautiful. It is very long about 100 feet in length and 40 feet in height. Since there are pillars in front of it, you cannot really take a full pic. The pillars invariably come in between. The feet of this statue has 108 grids, which are some form of auspicious symbols. Then there are 108 pots kept for donations. These 108 black pots are in line with the 108 auspicious symbols that you see, marked on Buddha’s feet. Photography allowed.

Besides the main section where the Reclining Buddha statue is stationed, there are several other smaller temples and some structures. On inquiring, we were told that these structures are of all kings of the past and their remains are buried in here.

The place is kept extremely clean. About a decade back, I had overheard one elderly lady and I quote “the cleanliness can be seen best in washrooms & toilets”. Now, I didn’t go there deliberately just to check on cleanliness but on nature’s call. None-the-less, found the Air Conditioned toilets impeccably clean too 😛

That’s the way this marvel looks at night, if you take a Chao Phraya River Cruise and if you got a great camera:

And just a random click as well… made more beautiful by the sheer innocence of this cutest child I ever saw in Wat Pho:

Nice place.

Why Not Stay Adjacent To This Beautiful Reclining Buddha Statue Temple ???

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Last Visited in January 2015

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