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Wat Benchamabopitr
ooking for shade on a hot Dusitvanaram is located at the
summer's day that is not in junc?ture of Rama V Road, Sri
the shape of a department Ayudhya Road, Rajdamnoennok Road
store, public park, amusement and Phitsanulok Road. Popularly
park or restaurant? Many waste no known amongst tour?ists the world
time to think of places of over as "the marble temple"
worship, like temples, as they because of the best imported
offer more than respite and Italian marble used to pave the
peace. At temples, one can chapel and cloister floors, it
experience that welcoming sense boasts intricate a ncient arch
of serenity. And all this happens itectu re that attracts droves of
in utter absence of an local and foreign visitors every
air-conditioner! day.
Among temples familiar to Formerly an ancient temple
Buddhists or even foreign known by the name of Wat Laem or
tour?ists who seek a haven to Wat Sai thong, there is no
fight off heat, both physically historical evidence attesting to
and spiritually, Wat its origins. It was not until
Benchamabopitr seems uppermost in 1826, during the reign of King
most people's minds. While it is Rama III, that its presence
ideally located a distance from emerged in the history of Siam at
down?town Bangkok, it has the the time when Prince Anuvong, the
advantage of satisfying ruler of Vientiane, then Siam's
peace-seekers with ample space, occupied state, launched an
free from crowds, which also attack against ancient Siam.
enables them to mingle with
genuine Buddhist devotees. King Rama III thus sent HRH
Prince Krom Phra Bibidh
Wat Benchamaborpitr Bhogabhubendra (HRH Prince
Panomwan who was born to King In the succeeding reign, the
Rama II and Chao Chom Sila, temple was elevated with
founder of the Panomwan family ar-chitectural "retouch". Now
with connection to the crown) as assuming ancient Thai aesthetic
commander of the army to protect architecture, with clearly
the capital. The compound of "Wat assigned areas for ceremonial,
Laem" or "wat Sai Thong" then mo?nastic residential purposes,
served-as his command. and that for relatives of the
reli?gious they ordained, the
After the insurgency, the compounds dedicated to ceremonial
commander-prince, along with his and monastic, residential
four siblings of the same purposes are pleasantly shaded
maternal parent, jointly restored with green lawns and trees. The
the temple from 1827 to 1828. monks' abodes are laid out
Five pagodas al igned in front of orderly to present a clutter-free
the temple entrance in look. The temple therefore is
commemoration of the dedication among those with the best layout.
of the five siblings were added
to the compound during the
resto?ration of the temple. The west wing of the chapel
is where Phra Buddhajinaraja is
According to the royal installed over a marble and
almanac, it was renamed "wat nine-gem-studded stand. Sitting
Benchamabopitr" during the reign under an ornate frame, it is a
of King Rama IV, which lit?erally meditating Buddha image in the
means the temple of the five Subduing Mara pose from Sukhothai
members of the royal fam?ily or period.
the temple 'the five had
restored. King Rama V entrusted Phra
Prasitthipatima (M.R. Moh
Duangchakara, then Luang King Rama VI had the ashes
Prasitthipatima), his right-hand of King Rama IV, the founder of
molder, then one of the country's the temple, housed in the
best molders, with, the task of gem-studded stand.
casting a replica after the
original Phra Buddhajinaraja Peach and gray marble lines
Bud?dha image at Wat Phra Sri the courtyard behind the chapel,
Ratana Mahathat in Phitsanulok while cream and white marble was
Province. King Rama V presided used for the clois?ter floor.
over the ceremony to mold the
Buddha image, gilded section by The cloister ceiling is
section, on October 20, 1901. The ornate with gilded roadnam
Buddha image eventually sailed designs against a red background
downstream to the Royal Navy. with 610 decorative stars. Along
Department in Bangkok where the the cloister wall are 52 bronzed
decorative as?pects under Phraya Buddha images that are either
Cholayudhyothin were completed. enlarged or reduced in size based
Once the decoration was done, a on ancient Buddha images of
roofed boat took it to Wat traditional styles. HRH Prince
Benjamabopitr where it has since Damrong Rajanubhab was entrusted
presided as the principal Buddha with the task of gathering those
image in its chapel. designs from temples throughout
Bangkok, the provinces and
The side of the gem-studded overseas including India, Japan,
stand for Phra Buddhajinaraja is Burma and Sri Lanka.
as high as the lower frame of the
temple window while the temple Another feature worth noting
floor is paved with multi-colored is the external canal, dug at
marble. royal command at the time when
the status of the temple was
elevated. With the canal attained his enlighten?ment.
excavated, the religious ground Standing majestically right in
was completely,separated from the the middle of the lawn behind the
ceremonial ground. Meanwhile, the chapel, the tree is over a
excavated soil was reused to century old, brought into Siam by
raise the low-lying temple ground Prince Damrong Rajanubhab in 1891
and adjoining land through upon his return from a duty tour
donations as it once served as a in India. On that visit, he made
fertile green belt for orchards pilgrimages to different
and rice fields. The new, religious sites, among which was
man-made water channel is Buddha Gaya where Creason, then
connected with that from Suan governor of Buddha Gaya, offered
Dusit, Khlong Premprachakorn and him three saplings of the tree.
Khlong Padung Krung-kasem to
facilitate better water flow. Back in Siam, he presented
the gifts to King Rama IV at
On both sides of the canal, Sichang Islet in Chonburi
trees were grown, columns with Province; the king then had one
lotus heads were installed and planted at Wat Assadangkanimit
wrought irons form the floral while the remaining two were left
fence. At the bottom of the to grow in the palatial compound
bridge, twelve Chinese dolls are in Sichang Islet.
found.
In 1899, while Wat
Benchamabopitr was under
But most significant of all construc?tion, King Rama IV again
is the presence of the Phra Sri paid a visit to Sichang Islet and
Mahabodhi; the important tree having seen the thriving trees
according to Buddhism for it was decided to move them to the
under this tree that the Buddha temple in Bangkok although they
were parked first at Suan Dusit. Benchamabopitr where they
continue to thrive until the
On August 2, 1900, King Rama present day ... Iike the serene
IV presided over the ceremony beauty of the temple where people
where the two mature Sri worship and leave the temple
Mahabodhi trees were replanted in ground with peace in their
land behind the chapel of Wat hearts.
Published At: www.Isnare.com
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