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Wat Phra Kaeo

Wat Phra Kaew / Wat Phra Kaeo

Wat Phra Kaew (or the Wat Phra Kaeo) is also known as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram and The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is housed in Bangkok’s famous Grand Palace complex. As soon as you enter the Grand Palace campus, the Wat Phra Kaeo is the first monument you come across.

Lord Buddha is most revered in Thailand and the Wat Phra Kaew is a reflection of this. It is a holy place for the Thais – in fact the Wat Phra Kaeo is the most sacred temple in Thailand. It houses a tiny (between 60 and 75 cm) statue of Emerald Buddha, seated high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. Though it is open to tourists and always filled with tourists, being a place of worship, tourists are expected to regard the place in this perspective and be careful not to hurt Thai sentiments when they are in the temple campus. You must take off your shoes before entering the temple building.

Check our Quick Tips section to understand what to take care of when visiting a temple (Wat) in Thailand.

The Wat Phra Kaew is also a treasure house of Thai Art. Inside the temple premises are several beautiful architectural structures. Also, on the temple walls you can see several murals depicting various stories, including how lord Buddha won over the evil and attained enlightenment. There is also a depiction of the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana, known as the Ramakian

History of the Emerald Buddha

The statue of the Emerald Buddha is seated on the top of a temple shaped base to keep it high above the heads of worshippers. It is a tiny statue of 60-75 cm height. Though it is named as the emerald Buddha, the statue is actually made of green jade or jasper. It is believed to be a lucky mascot for the Thais and hence is highly revered. History suggests that it was made some time in the 15th century. It is also believed that this statue exchanged several hands and finally landed in the hands of King Rama I, who installed it in the Wat Phra Kaew. One of the other Thai temple that hosted the Emerald Buddha in the past is the Wat Arun.

The robe worn by lord Buddha is changed thrice a year. The King himself changes the robe at the commencement of every season. In the summer season, the lord weard a diamond encrusted gold robe. In the winter season he wears a solid gold robe, and in the rainy season he wears a gilded monk's robe.

Other Monuments in the Wat Phra Kaeo Campus

Angkor Wat

It is a miniature model of the famous Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat. It was built by King Rama IV when the Thai empire extended over Cambodia.

Libraries

There are two libraries inside the campus. These libraries were built primarily to preserve important Buddhist literature.

Phra Si Rattana Chedi

This impressive golden Phra is said to be housing the ashes of lord Buddha.

The Royal Pantheon

The Royal Pantheon contains full size statues of the first seven kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty, viz. Kings Rama I - Rama VII. It is opened for public only on 6th April, the anniversary of the founding of this dynasty. Surrounding this are large statues of mythical guardians, such as the Kinaree (meaning half human-half bird) and the Hindu revered bird Garuda. It contains the scared Buddhist scriptures - the Tripitaka.