temple Chakrawat Rachawat, Wat Chakrawat Rachawat

Wat Chakrawat Rachawat

The Three Chedi at the south of Wat Chakrawat

The old crocodile under Phra Mondop

Originally called Wat Samplum, it was an old temple at the corner of Chakrawat and Sampheng Roads. It was renovated by Chao Phraya Bodintrdeja (Sing) during the reign of King Rama III who gave it its new name.

When Chao Phraya Bodintrdeja was sent to put Vientien under control he brought a Buddha image called Phra Bang to present to the King. The people of Laos believed that whenever the Emerald Buddha and the Phra Bang are placed in the same city trouble occurred. So King Rama III put the Phra Bang image in Wat Chakrawat which is located well away from the Grand Palace. The image remainded there until King Rama IV returned it to Luang Phrabang in Laos in A.D. 1866. The Wihan in which the duplicate image stands, remains today.

In A.D. 1889 Phra Mongkhonthipmuni (Ma) built a small hill to enshrine the Buddha's foot-print in miniature at this temple. The King built a Mondop under which the foot-prints are placed.

Important Buildings in the Temple

1. The Belfry and the Crematorium

Phra Bromvichitre an architect of the Fine Arts Department, designed these in the simplest style to which he adapted the traditional architecture to fero-concrete construction.

2. Phra Prang

Although small, this was designed in the same manner as larger ones even with a pillared gallery decorated with coloured Chinese tiles. The structure of the Prang is similar to the one at Wat Ratchaburana which is typical of the style of King Rama III.

Phra Prang, architecturally similar to the one at Wat Ratchaburana

3. Phra Wihan and the Ordination Hall

The Wihan and the Ordination Hall face each other. The Wihan is an old monument of the Ayutthaya Period containing murals, also in the Ayutthaya style. On the wall above the window level are found painting of monks sitting according to their ranks. Below the window level paintings depict various stories.

The wood carving on the gable, large brackets and the windows date back to the Ayutthaya Period.

In the interior of the Ordination Hall, which stands opposite the Wihan facing east, there are murals of the period King Rama IV and King Rama V.

Along the gallery which surrounds the Ordination Hall there are bronze Buddha images cast during the reigns of King Rama III and IV. They are both seated and standing images. Those of King Rama III are mostly in robes with floral design while those of the period of King Rama IV are in pleated robes.

Main Buddha image in the Ordination Hall

The small Phra Wihan showing a gable board decorated with Chinese tiles

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Information

: Tourism Authority of Thailand, 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10100, THAILAND.

Tel. : (66 2) 281-0422 (20 Lines), E-mail : tat@cs.ait.ac.th
: Tourism Authority of Thailand Tourist Service Center
: Tourist Service Center (TAT and Tourist Police), Tel. 1155
: The Sights of Rattanakosin, The Committee for the Rattanakosin Bicentennial Celebration Published on the Occasion of the Bicentenary of Bangkok, 1982, P. 237-240.