A
country in the Southeast Asian region, Bangkok, Thailand is known for its distinct cultural
history and colorful traditions. What makes Thailand unique is that, Thais pay
importance to their history even up to this day and age. Because of these,
Bangkok becomes one of the most interesting tourist destinations.
Speaking
of striking architecture, one of the most popular tourist spots in Bangkok,
Thailand are its finest temples which can be one of the highlights of visit to
the city. These places of worship existed in centuries starting from the early
Lanna period down to the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods to the current
‘glorious era’ of Rattanakosin.
The
Role of Buddhist Temples in Thais’ Spirituality
Buddhism
is widely practiced in Thailand as a state religion. As a matter of fact, 95%
of the population in Thailand are Buddhists. The main principle of this
religion is that, you might have lived upon this earth during a past life but
in a different form or status. In other words, the physical form and future
life of a newly born will depend on the karma gained or lost in their past
life.
If
you happen to visit Thailand you will notice that Buddhist temples play an
important role in the everyday life of the Thais. People go to temples to seek
guidance, for good health and fortune and wealth. Some troubled souls also seek
advice from monks. Some believed that if its your first time in a temple, you
can pray or wish for once and it will come true. Do you wish to go to these
temples? The huge help of some travel agents for a Bangkok tour will let you
discover them more.
Wat
Traimit
This
temple is the home to the world’s largest massive gold-seated Buddha which
measures 5 meters in height and weighs 5 and a half tons. In the past, artists
made the Buddhas in gold and dress them up from invading armies by putting a
huge stucco and plaster. This is located at the end of Chinatown’s Yaowarat
Road, near Hualampong Railway Station.
The
Buddha at Wat Traimit was discovered by accident. When it was accidentally
dropped, it revealed, under a casing of plaster, a beautiful solid gold
Sukhothai style Buddha. Therefore, they kept the pieces of the plaster on
display.
Wat
Pho
By
all means, this is considered as one of the leading schools of massage in
Thailand. This temple is associated with King Rama I who reestablished the
temple complex on an earlier temple site, and became his main temple. Finally,
it is one of the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant
reclining Buddha that measures 46 meters long and is covered in gold leaf.
