Let us get back on track of my Bangkok (April 26 - May 4, 2025) trip blog posts series.
From the Grand Palace, we were driven to the river boat station to board a river taxi to cross the Chao Praya River to reach the Wat Arun Temple which is one of Bangkok's most iconic landmarks. Just a short boat ride but quite scenic as you can already see the towering prang of the majestic temple with its intricately encrusted millions of colorful pieces of Chinese porcelain and seashells.
It was a really hot and warm day so I changed my top because I was soaking wet from buckets of sweat. Even my hair strands were dripping wet. Goodness!
The Temple of Dawn has existed since the Ayutthaya Kingdom period (1351 - 1767), its original name was "Wat Makok". It is said that King Thasin the Great wanted to establish a new capital of Thonburi. He travelled along the Chao Praya River and arrived in front of Wat Makok just as dawn was breaking, hence it was named "Wat Chaeng" which means "Temple of Dawn".
A major restoration of the prang (spire) was made in the 19th century during the reign of King Rama II and the name was changed to Wat Arun Ratchatharam and served as the temple of his reign.
During the reign of King Rama IV, the temple was renamed Wat Arun Ratchawararam after further restoration and construction works were done. The primary prang shaped chedi symbolizes Mount Meru or the center of the universe.
You can hire/rent tradtional Thai costumes (complete with head gears and umbrellas) both for males and females then have your picture taken with these majestic prangs as your background.
Inside the Ordination Hall is the Niramitr Buddha statue designed by King Rama II. The sitting Buddha was crafted out of wood, cast in bronze then covered with gold leaf. The base of the main Buddha image is believed to house the ashes of King Rama II.
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