Phra Ubosot Wat Pho

interior of ubosot of wat pho

phra ubosot (phra uposatha) or bot ordination hall, main hall used performing buddhist rituals, , sacred building of complex. constructed king rama in ayuthaya style, , later enlarged , reconstructed in rattanakosin style rama iii. bot dedicated in 1791, before rebuilding of wat pho completed. building raised on marble platform, , ubosot lies in center of courtyard enclosed double cloister (phra rabiang).

a view of wat pho phra ubosot in background , chedis outside cloister.

inside ubosot gold , crystal three-tiered pedestal topped gilded buddha made of gold-copper alloy, , on statue nine-tiered umbrella representing authority of thailand. buddha image, known phra buddha theva patimakorn , thought ayutthaya period, moved here rama wat sala si na (now called wat khuhasawan) in thonburi. rama iv later placed ashes of rama under pedestal of buddha image public may pay homage both rama , buddha @ same time. there ten images of buddha s disciples in hall; moggalana located left of buddha , sariputta right, 8 arahants below.

the exterior balustrade surrounding main hall has around 150 depictions in stone of epic, ramakien, ultimate message of transcendence secular spiritual dimensions. stone panels recovered temple in ayuthaya. ubosot enclosed low wall called kamphaeng kaew, punctuated gateways guarded mythological lions, 8 structures house bai sema stone markers delineate sacred space of bot.

a view of phra prang , part of phra rabiang cloister



phra rabiang - double cloister contains around 400 images of buddha northern thailand selected out of 1,200 brought king rama i. of these buddha images, 150 located on inner side of double cloister, 244 images on outer side. these buddha figures, standing , seated, evenly mounted on matching gilded pedestals. these images different periods in thai history, such chiangsaen, sukhothai, u-thong, , ayutthaya eras, renovated rama , covered stucco , gold leaves make them similar.


buddha images in cloister. cloister intersected 4 viharas or viharns, 1 on each direction.

the phra rabiang intersected 4 viharns. viharn in east contains 8 metre tall standing buddha, buddha lokanatha, ayutthaya. in antechamber buddha maravichai, sitting under bodhi tree, sawankhalok of late sukhothai period. 1 on west has seated buddha sheltered naga, buddha chinnasri, while buddha on south, buddha chinnaraja, has 5 disciples seated in front listening first sermon. both buddhas brought sukhothai rama i. buddha in north viharn called buddha palilai cast in reign of rama i. viharn on west contains small museum.

phra prang - there 4 towers, or phra prang, @ each corner of courtyard around bot. each of towers tiled marbles , contains 4 khmer-style statues guardian divinities of 4 cardinal points.




^ matics 1979, pp. 4–6.
^ cite error: named reference brock invoked never defined (see page).
^ phra buddha theva patimakorn . wat pho. 
^ phra uposatha (main chapel) . sunthai. 
^ cite error: named reference watpho invoked never defined (see page).
^ committee rattanakosin bicentennial celebration (1982). sights of rattanakosin. p. 146. 
^ cite error: named reference o neil invoked never defined (see page).
^ kampaengkaew, wat chetuphon . encyclopediathai. archived original on july 3, 2015. 
^ temple museum exhibiting artifacts phra maha chedi si rajakarn . encyclopediathai.org. archived original on july 4, 2015. 
^ phra maha sthupa or phra prang, wat phra chetuphon . encyclopediathai.org. archived original on july 4, 2015.