Wat Arun [Temple of Dawn]
Monkey guardian diety called "Mock" were in the lower part of the prang.
Primary Hindu diety "Vayu" on the white horse was in the upper part of the prang.
It's about 80m high.
Demons were in the lower part of the prang.
Monkeys were in the middle part of the prang.
Angels were in the upper part of the prang.
Vayu was on the white horse in the upper part of the prang.
Vayu is the spiritual father of Hanuman.
We could understand why Hanuman statues were supporting Vayu.
The color of the smaller prang looked different from the one looked from the entrance.
There were stairs to go to the middle of the prang.
Indra, Hindu god riding on the white elephant "Erawan", was in the great pagoda.
Episode of Wat Arun
Tomo&Chouchou visited Wat Arun with group tour from Japan. Local guide brought us to Wat Arun. Before going to Wat Arun, we didn't know anything about the history of Wat Arun. We were just suprised to see the beautiful pagodas.
When we arrived there, we could understand that Wat Arun was under restoration. We were a little bit disappointed because it's not so convenient to take photos. Anyway we walked to the entrance. We could already see the central prang in front of the entrance.
As soon as we entered, we could find the gold statue. It looked kind and friendly. We also found Chinese guardian, gold Buddha statue, horse statue and guardian dog near the entrace. We were astonished by the size of pagodas. We were also amazed by the beauty of pagodas. We could find the central prang (=Phra Prang) in front. It is about 80 metres in height. There were four smaller satelite prangs around the central prang. There were also several statues relating to Thai mythology such as Garuda, demons, monkeys around the central prang. All the prangs were decorated with colorful beautiful tiles. Many floral patterns were decorated. Porcelain statues were very beautiful too. We couldn't stop taking photos because of the beauty. The color of the pagoda looked different depending on the angles. We really enjoyed to look at all the pagodas.
We could go up the stairs until the second level of the pagoda. It was very nice view. We could approach to the monkey statues. We could see the Hindu gods on the white elephant or on the white horse closer.
It was very enjoyable. We recommend to visit Wat Arun!
For your information,
When Tomo&Chouchou visited Wat Arun, it was in 2015. Resotoration was between 2013 to 2017. It is now finished.
When we visited Wat Arun, Tomo&Chouchou didn't know the history of Wat Arun and the Thai mythology. We didn't know why monkeys were there etc. Even though we didn't know the history or mythology, we could understand the greatness and we could feel the spiritual power. We could enjoy the beauty of Wat Arun. While writing this article in this blog, I studied characters in Ramayana (=ancient Indian epic.) a bit. We now feel Wat Arun is more interesting to see. We also learned Wat Arun was international place because Chinese gods and Indian gods were together. This is why Wat Arun is peaceful place. We advise you to read about Thai mythology or history before visiting. It would surely be more interesting!
Characters in Ramayana
Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic. It's important in Hinduism. Most of the characters come from Ramayana.
Indra: ancient Vedic deity in Hinduism. King of the gods, thunder god, weather god, war god and hero god. It's related with lightning, thunder, storms, rains, river flows and war.
Vayu: a primary Hindu deity, a god of the wind in Indian mythology, god of air, wind and breath. a spiritual father of Hanuman.
Vanara: a monkey-like race in Indian mythology. They are brave and curious.
Hanuman: divine vanara (monkey). son of Vayu. companion of God Rama. God of Wisdom, Strength, Courage, Devotion and Self-Discipline
Mock: white monkey guardian deity, a god of justice, amulet gardian deity
Yakshas (or Yak): amulet gardian deity,
Airavata: a white elephant in Indian mythology. Indra's vahana (=god's vehicle). Erawan in Thailand. It has more than three heads.
Erawan: an elephant with one torso and three heads. one of the Thai names of Airavata. It carries deity Indra.
Vahana: animal vehicle
Kinnara (or Kimnara): a class of semi-divine beings. half human.
Garuda: a sacred bird appears in Indian mythology, legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist faith.
Information
Wat Arun,
Wat Arun Ratchawararam RatchawaramahawihanWat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchaworawihan
Wat Arun Ratchawararam Royal Palace
Ratchawararam temple, Arun temple, Temple of Dawn
[Thai: วัดอรุณราชวราราม, วัดอรุณราชวราราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร ]
Buddhist temple and royal monastery.
Open: 9:00 - 16:30 or 8:00 -18:00
Admission: 200 Baht
Address: 34 Arunamarin Rd., Wat Arun, BangkokYai, Bangkok 10600 or
Access: by express boat or water-bus
Relating article
other sightseeing spots in Bangkok
- Wat Pho
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