Wat Sup Prairo

After a much needed rest from climbing the mountain we finally wandered into the caves of Wat Sup Prairo. As we entered there were some small statues and artifacts strewn about the entrance waiting to be placed and just inside the mouth of the cave there sat a Buddhist nun working on embellishing a small statue. The nun spoke to Mo but I was engrossed in exploring what I thought was a small cave and all it’s artifacts, not to mention my new found friend Cantaloop. Cantaloop is a very fat German dog of some sort who occasionally waddles down from his perch to see what is going.

As the nun continued to speak I rubbed Cantaloop’s ears and scratched his very pig like back for him and then I hear Mo say “teelac stop!”, Apparently the nun was explaining that Cantaloop is a very mean dog with very sharp teeth…Cantaloop looked up at Mo and then back to me as if to say “Pay no attention to the Buddhist nun behind the curtain”. With a lick of my hand Cantaloop decided he needed a rest and waddled back to his perch and Mo just giggled.

As I said previously, at first glance it appeared that the mountain Wat was only a few small areas but if that were all there was to Wat Sup Prairo then I would have been completely satisfied. As you can see below the first rooms were beautiful and the pictures don’t do them justice.

At this point we rounded a small corner and much to my surprise, and my backs chagrin, there was a small opening by the floor we needed to shimmy through that led to one of the caves most beautiful hidden secrets.

Beyond the hole we crawled through was really a treasure to behold. I must have stood there for 10 minutes just admiring the inspiring beauty of the Buddha staue backlit from a hole in the top of the mountain.

Moving onwards and downwards my back was to be tested again and again. We saw many small statues and murals for a short while until the cave opened up into a massive room with 60 foot ceilings.

This last room was the end of the cave system although I suspect more will eventually be added as they continue to update the Wat. On the way down the mountain the views were indeed impressive as we made our way to the main temple, which by itself wasn’t impressive but the many statues surrounding it sure were.

And that concludes my day at Wat Sup Prairo. Sometime within the week I will be adding even more pictures to the Thailand Photo Gallery under Wat Sup Prairo.

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Wat Sup Prairo

Mo’s family lives in the South Western area of Petchaboon in the Amphoe of  Wichian Buri, more specifically the family lives in the Tambon of Sap Noi. In order to get to the family farm one needs to go down a very long dirt road about 20 miles, at about the halfway point you’ll see a very large statue of Buddha near the roadside and a few minor statues but not much more. This would be the entrance to Wat Sup Prairo.

I didn’t see the normal Wat buildings that I thought should be there set back against the mountains, instead I only saw a dirt parking area and a place to sit and relax. It wasn’t until we pulled in that I realized there was going to be some climbing involved, nothing treacherous but certainly steep and much without railings or guardrails. As I looked down there was indeed a Wat building surrounded by canopies due to a religious event taking place that day.

The lower part of the steep walkway up the mountain does have some handrails but only for a short way. Apparently up until 3 years ago the only way to the upper Wat was by traversing bamboo ladders up the side of the mountain. While there are steps of a sort now the majority is very steep and cut roughly into the mountain. The journey up was tiring on legs not used to steep ascents but there were ample areas to rest with stunning views.

Finally as you near the top of the mountain a deck juts out of the mountainside and just beyond that is the entrance to the caves. Around the entrance to the caves are statues, Buddhist flags and several elephant heads carved/concreted into the mountainside. As you enter the cave it appears at first that the temple is a small 2 room affair but when you walk around the corner to the second room you notice a winding pathway going down into the mountain.

Tomorrow I’ll take you into the caves and show you some stunning sights that Wat Sup Prairo has to offer and you’ll get to meet a new friend I made named Cantaloop.

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Wat Bang Phra

On my recent trip to Bangkok one of the main objectives was to visit Wat Bang Phra and get a Sak Yant tattoo, also known as a sacred tattoo. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending how how you look at it, we arrived at Wat Bang Phra just 2 days before the huge tattoo festival was to take place. This meant that the normally quiet Wat had a few hundred people in attendance on the day which would be a lead up to the some 40,000 people that would be attending the tattoo festival on the weekend.

Wat Bang Phra is renowned as the place to get Sak Yant or sacred tattoos and they are given daily by the monks at the Wat. On this day and the week preceding the Tattoo festival many people come to have tattoos done as well as have previous tattoos re-blessed or recharged. To Thai people these tattoos don’t just represent traditional Buddhist images but they believe them to hold power and protection over the wearer. Once the Sak Yant is given the monk then blows a blessing into the tattoo bringing it to life and giving it power.

Most Sak Yant wearers return to Wat Bang Phra or other temples yearly to have their tattoos re-blessed by the monks. For a more detailed look at the Sak Yant including video please look at Sak Yant Thai Tattoo.

Well, as I said this was a very busy week for Wat Bang Phra and it didn’t look like getting my Sak Yant would be in the cards this trip but we spent an amazing morning walking around the Wat and through the throngs of the faithful taking a lot of pictures. I need to  thank Catherine, my gracious host,  from Women Learning Thai and her driver Khun Pissout for taking me to the Wat and for a wonderful day of sight seeing.

My next trip to Bangkok will hopefully find me again at Wat Bang Phra and getting a sacred Buddhist tattoo but until then you can enjoy the photos below and over 200 pictures of this trip in the Wat Bang Phra Gallery.

Wat Bang Phra Photos

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Wat Yansangwararam

Wat Yansangwararam, also known as Wat Yan, was the second part of my Day trip on Sunday and it surely didn’t disappoint. The Wat is about 17 kilometers from Pattaya center and is very close to both Khao Chee Chan ( Buddha Mountain ) and Nong Nooch Gardens. Wat Yan is often overlooked for other destinations in the area but believe me when I tell you that this is one day trip that should not be missed, especially if you like taking photos as much as I do.

Wat Yan is Actually a very large temple compound comprised of many buildings that literally spring up out of the jungle. The first building you will come to as you wind around the road to the Wat is Viharna Sein (  Anek Kusala Sala ) which is a Chinese style temple built to honor Thailand’s Chinese population. Officially opened in 1993 by King Bhumibol, the temple houses a huge selection of Chinese antiques, artifacts and stunning Chinese art. Complete with dragons, terracotta statues and many beautiful depictions of Buddha’s life.

Just across a large reservoir from Viharna Sein sits Wat Yan. Covering 366 rai (146 acres) of land, this temple complex features a wide array of architectural styles and structures, surrounded by  gardens and beautiful flower arrangements. Among the structures are a Khmer mandapa, housing a replica of a Buddha footprint; a white, 40-meter tall chedi containing relics of the Buddha and his disciples; a Swiss Chalet; and shrines in Indian and Japanese styles. Monuments include statues of King Rama VII and his wife, the beloved Princess Mother; and wax statues of 20 revered monks. The site also contains wildlife preserves and breeding facilities, a school, and a hospital.

Wat Yansangwararam is believed to be the heaven for those who love to meditate and practice it sincerely. Meditation courses are on offer for anyone who wishes to be enlightened daily from 6am to 6pm.

In 1976, Wat Yan was dedicated to Somdej Phra Yanasangworn, then the Supreme Patriarch, or head of Thailand’s monastic order. The temple was subsequently put under the patronage of King Bhumibol, who established a development program for it in 1982. Over 27 billion baht ( $600 million ) is said to have been spent on its construction.

This really makes an excellent day trip when paired up with Khao Chee Chan ( Buddha Mountain ) which is just 1 kilometer up the road. Entrance to the Chinese temple is 50 baht per person ( Falang and Thai alike ) And a guide book ( in Thai ) will set you back another 100 baht. Wat Yansangwararam really is a treasure hidden away in the jungle of Satahip and one that most people tend to miss out on. Plan a day to take in the sights and I guarantee you wont be disappointed.

Over 300 pictures can be found in the Wat Yansangwararam Gallery and many more pictures of the beauty that is Thailand can be found in the Thailand Photo Gallery.

Wat Phra Kaew,  also known as the temple of the Emerald Buddha,  resides within the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and is considered the most revered Buddhist shine in all of Thailand. The Emerald Buddha itself is actually carved of jadeite, stands 26 inches tall and sits atop a large gold alter in the center of the temple.

Only the King of Thailand is allowed close to the Emerald Buddha when the seasonal gold costume it wears is changed three times a year. The summer costume consists of a crown and jewelry, the winter costume is a golden shawl and the costume worn during Buddhist Lent is a gilt robe and headdress. The costume change is an important Thai ritual performed by the King who will also sprinkles water over the gathered monks and the faithful to bring good luck during the upcoming season. The other two costumes are on display in the nearby Pavillion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Thai Coins while not in use.

According to popular belief the Emerald Buddha started it’s journey in Sri Lanka but modern historians have discounted most of the Buddha statues early history and are confident that the Buddha image was carved sometime during the late 14th century to the mid 15th century in Northern Thailand. Although,  the statue is carved in the style and attitude of  Buddha images found in Southern India or Sri Lanka with the Buddha in a meditation pose. The meditation pose has never been prominent in Thailand which may have lead early historians to assign an alternate history to the Emerald Buddha.

The history from this era says that the Buddha was once hidden in a Chedi  in the Chiang Rai province, but a lightening storm in 1434 damaged that Chedi exposing a stucco likeness of the Buddha. Upon closer inspection the stucco was falling off exposing the Jadeite Buddha below. Being such a beautiful dark green it was confused as being made of emerald at first, giving the statue it’s name The Emerald Buddha.

The King of Chiang Mai at the time heard of this wonderful discovery and decided that the statue must reside within his province. Three times he sent an elephant to Chiang Rai to retrieve the Buddha and three times the elephant stopped at a crossroads while returning with the Buddha. This was seen as a sign from Buddha himself and a temple was constructed in Lampang where the Emerald Buddha stayed for 32 years.

The next king of Chiang Mai decided the Emerald Buddha should be housed in his province as well and this time the Emerald Buddha was successfully moved from Lampang to Chiang Mai where it resided in a temple until 1552 when invaders from Laos stole the emerald Buddha. The statue remained in Laos for the next 214 years until General Chakri, who would later become King Rama I, brought the statue back to the capital at Thonburi after a successful war with Laos.

In 1784 When King Rama I moved the capital across the river to Bangkok he had the ordinance hall built where the stature still resides to this day. The ordinance hall was a plain stucco structure when it was first constructed but King Rama III would change all of that.

Large stucco moldings were installed and the whole hall was gilded and adorned with glass mosaics.  A pair of Khmer lions, believed to be from the Khmer Bayon period of the 13th century, guard each of the six entrances. At the base of the ordination hall is a row of golden Garuda’s each holding a Naga in each hand. The Garuda is the King of all birds and the mount of Vishnu the great Hindu god, the Naga is the king of all serpents and the enemy of Garuda. The Garuda holding the Naga is believed to be a very powerful image to chase away evil spirits.

The ordination hall also contains two other interesting Buddha statues. Both ten foot tall statues are cast in bronze and stand crowned at either side of the Emerald Buddha. These statues were commissioned by King Rama III in dedication to King Rama I and King Rama II.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Thailand,  and rightly so. The attention to detail inside as well as outside the ordination hall is stunning. The compound surrounding the ordination hall is equally as stunning with the various monuments and buildings glinting in the midday sun.

Getting a picture of the famous Emerald Buddha is sometimes easier said than done though. No pictures are allowed inside the ordinance hall which leaves you only two vantage points to get your photo. The first is through the open doorway at the front of the hall and the second is through a small open window cut into the front wall of the hall.

Wat Phra Kaew is absolutely a must see while in Bangkok and it is sure to give you memories that will last a lifetime.

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One of the most amazing sights in Thailand are the Wats. Not one is alike.  The above picture is from a wat in Bangkok that has a decidedly Chinese influence. From the colors and textures to the sounds and smells they all create a very unique experience for the visitor.

Although each temple is different and can range in size from very small to very large they all incorporate the same elements. Each Wat has an one ordinal hall or Ubosot where new monks are ordained and important ceremonies are held. Each Ubosot will have an alter and at least one Buddha image. The Ubosot is surrounded by 8 Sema stones marking the sacred ground of the temple.

Each temple will also have a Vihara housing important Buddha images where the populace comes to pray. There may be several Vihara at a temple.

Each temple will also have a Chedi or Pagoda that usually houses a relic of the Buddha but may also contain the ashes of an imortant monk or king. Each temple will also incorporate a Naga which is a mythical creature said to have sheltered Buddha while he meditated. They can generally be seen in decorations, roof edges and railings. Most people will confuse the Naga for dragons. The Wat eaves are very decorative as well.

Each temple will also have a Sala with is an open sided pavillion used for sermons. Most temples will also have a drum or bell tower to call the faithful to prayer.

Each temple will have a Mondop or library which houses sacred scriptures and images.

Temples are a very important part of Thai life They are a place of worship, community gathering places, as well as places where the departed are cremated. Some Wat’s also have schools, meeting rooms and sporting grounds. When visiting a Wat in Thailand one should be respectful and learn the accepted etiquette as not to offend the Thais.

Thailand’s Wat’s are very beautiful and peaceful places to visit and a must see if you’re planning a trip to the kingdom.

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