Wat Arun, Bangkok: A Thai house of worship
The central stupa soaring over 66 metres at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan, simply called Wat Arun, calls for my attention. In broad daylight, fragments of seashells, porcelain and tiles shine from its body. Adorned with characters from Therawada Buddhism, the pointy stupa attracts tourists in hordes from Bangkok every day. However, the ‘tourist spot in Bangkok’ is just a secondary identity; primarily Wat Arun, also known as the ‘Temple of Dawn’, is a religious complex revered by the Thais.
Racing back in time
The area of Thailand has been continuously inhabited since the last 20,000 years, but the ‘Thai’ identity and civilization is recent. The term ‘Thai’ is coined from ‘tai’, a language spoken by a band of people who migrated from southwestern China to southeastern Asia around the 11th century. In the 13th century, after the fall of the Khmer rulers in the region (of what is currently Thailand), a person from the Tai speaking community established the first Thai kingdom known as Sukhothai. In the 14th century, the second Thai kingdom, Ayutthaya, came into existence.
A few months after the Burmese burnt and destroyed Ayutthaya in late 18th century, another new Thai kingdom was established for a brief 15 years, the Thonburi kingdom. Finally, the Rattanakosin kingdom came into power in 1782 and is still holding its position, although in the modern scenario the political power of the king has been almost nullified.
Influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism from the Indian subcontinent, Sukhothai introduced Therawada Budhhism as the state religion. All the subsequent Thai kingdoms followed suit. Since then several temples dedicated to Buddha and various Hindu deities have been established in this region. These temples are known as ‘Wat’, a Thai term for the house of worship.
Wat Arun history: The story so far
A Buddhist temple existed at the location of the current temple from the Ayutthaya times and was known as Wat Makok. Under the Thonburi, it was renamed Wat Chaeng. The first king of Rattanakosin kingdom, Rama I, installed the Emerald Buddha, a 26-inch image of meditating Buddha made of gold and precious stones in this temple. However, the Emerald Budhha was soon removed and the temple complex was abandoned.
New life was breathed into the structure under the successive rules of Rama II and Rama III. Additions and restorations kept happening till 2017. The architectural nerve-centre is the towering central stupa or prang that was developed under the Rattanakosin kingdom itself—the ones responsible for transforming a house of worship into a major piece of art.
Inside the Wat Arun temple
A very pleasant albeit crowded ferry ride along Chao Phraya river brings me to Wat Arun pier on the western shore from Phra Arthit pier on the eastern shore near Khaosan Road, my abode in Bangkok. This water highway serves as one of Bangkok’s major transport channels. It also connects several of Bangkok’s tourist spots. Wat Arun sits conveniently on the western bank of the river opposite to two more historical hubs— Wat Pho and Grand Palace.
At the pagoda-style gates of the temple are two giant sculpted Yakshas, white and green, crowned with mongkuts and holding a sword. Inside is the main temple area with a marbled courtyard and several sculptures of seated Buddhas along the corridor. Most of the structures around the courtyard are out of bounds for tourists.
Since it is an active temple, monks move around doing their usual chores. I also find a hall where a monk is performing rituals to worship the Buddha installed in the shrine. I sit on the carpet, crosslegged, along with a few other tourists, and observe the ceremony. It is not a foreign practice to me, I have seen such ceremonies being conducted in the Himalayan monasteries.
To be very honest, it is a welcome break from the maddening crowd. I also enjoy the strict silence inside the hall, broken only by the chant of mantras by the monk. After spending some time here, I exit the old part of the temple and move to the newer and more popular part.
Wat Arun architecture: Thai temple architecture
The imposing prang that has become the icon of Bangkok is in the newer part of the temple. This piece of stunning architecture is a contribution of King Rama II and Rama III of Rattanakosin kingdom. The central prang is surrounded by four smaller prang. Across the river, from the eastern bank of Chao Phraya, Wat Arun looks gorgeous both during the day, and also at night when all the prang are lit up.
Aruna is a Hindu God who features in different roles in Vedic texts, legends and epics that originated in the Indian subcontinent. According to Hindu mythology, he drives the chariot of the sun God. He is often represented as the red glow of the sun. The rising sun to the east of Chao Phraya bathes the temple every morning in a soft red hue. The Rattanakosin named this Buddhist temple after Hindu God Aruna, probably inspired by the magnificence of this daily celestial event.
The steps that take me higher up the central prang are very steep and narrow. I carefully climb them up and reach the first tier. Here I circumnavigate the prang. Being high season in Thailand, the circumnavigation gallery is cluttered with tourists and it becomes really difficult to take a single good shot. So, I find a good spot and wait around for my luck to click and the crowd to move out.
On the pristine white walls, collages of broken porcelains and seashells form floral motifs, leaves, and characters from the Buddhist pantheon. Under the morning sun, they shimmer. Another flight of stairs, narrower and steeper, goes on for an eternity, before merging with the topmost part of the temple. I have read about the awe-inspiring view of the Chao Phraya river and Bangkok city from this tier; however, the staircase is a no-entry zone.
I am somewhat relieved. Given the tourist rush I notice on the temple complex, it would have been a nightmare if the authorities would have kept that staircase open. I struggle for a long time just to take a few photos with no strangers in my frame.
Once satisfied, I leave the premises of the beautiful temple and remove the scarf that I had multitasked to serve as a sarong. Strict dress code is maintained inside the temple and the authorities do not allow attires that reveal the knees and/or shoulders. However, appropriate outfits can be rented at the gate. Since I always carry a scarf, it came in handy to cover my knees.
Enjoying the cool breeze of Chao Phraya, I wait for the public ferry to take us to Tha Thien pier. A cat’s antics keep me entertained and I am somewhat sad to leave it when the boat arrives. As my ferry moves away, to the eastern shore, Wat Arun becomes smaller but more photogenic before finally disappearing behind the traffic of parked boats.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Wat Arun entrance fee – 50 baht per head
Wat Arun visit timing – 8 AM to 5.30 PM everyday.
Have you been to the historic parts of Bangkok? Did you enjoy reading about Wat Arun history? Also, feel free to share your own experiences of Wat Arun in the comments below!
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Tania Banerjee
Tania is a freelance writer based in India who tinkers with words here and there but mostly focused on travel, food, arts and crafts. She writes for several Indian dailies and magazines.
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