Wat Pathum Wanaram, Bangkok, Thailand (22 October 2006)
Wat Pathum Wanaram (GPS: 13.7459, 100.53674) or by its full name Wat Pathumwanaram Ratchaworawiharn, is a Buddhist temple in the busy Pathum Wan shopping district in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. Today it is surrounded by colossal shopping malls including Central World Plaza on one side and Siam Paragon on the other.
Wat Pathum Wanaram was built in 1857 by King Mongkut (Rama IV) as a place of worship in close proximity to his home, the Sa Pathum Palace. At that time, that area of Bangkok was all rice paddies, with Khlong Saen Saeb canal providing waterborne access to Rattanakosin.
Within the grounds of Wat Pathum Wanaram is the Phra Meru Mas, the reconstructed crematorium of the late Princess Mother of Thailand. She was cremated at Sanam Luang in March 1996. Following the cremation, her remains were transferred to Wat Pathum Wanaram on an elaborate procession.
Also kept at Wat Pathum Wanaram are the remains of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, the first Prime Minister of Siam. It was transferred there from Penang, where he was originally buried. His cremation was carried out at Makut Kasattriyaram on 4 April, 1949.
Within the ubosot of the temple is the principal Buddha image, Phra Sai (also written Phra Saay). In the viharn is another Buddha image in the posture of subduing mara (demon). Both Buddha images were brought here from Vientiane during the reign of King Rama III.
Getting there
Wat Pathum Wanaram is within walking distance of the BTS Skytrain Siam (Central) Station of both Silom Line and Sukhumvit Line.
Wat Pathum Wanaram (22 October 2006)
Wat Pathum Wanaram with CentralWorld Tower in the background (22 October 2006)
The principal Buddha image of Wat Pathum Wanaram (22 October 2006)
Four-sided statue at Wat Pathum Wanaram (22 October 2006)
Monk living quarters at Wat Pathum Wanaram (22 October 2006)
Wat Pathum Wanaram as seen from across the khlong (22 October 2006)
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Disclaimer
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.