 Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok
Wat Bowonniwet is a Buddhist temple along Phra Sumen Road, across from the Khlong Banglamphu canal. It was built by King Rama III in the mid-19th century. The temple bears elements of Chinese architecture which is a hallmark of the king's architectural style.
Wat Bowomniwet comprises a central golden chedi with two symmetrical chapels on either side. The chapel closest to Phra Sumen Road has murals done by the monk-painter Khrua In Khong, who was renowened for introducting the Western concept of perspective into Thai temple murals.
The main Buddha image in Wat Bowomniwet is known as the Phra Buddha Chinasara. It is one of the best examples of Buddha images from the Sukhothai period.
Wat Bowomniwet was where King Mongkut spent 27 years as an abbot, following the strict Tammayut sect of Buddhism. Today Wat Bowomniwet continues to serve as the headquarters of the sect. Apart from King Mongkut, several subsequent Thai kings also served their monkhood here, including the present king, His Majesty King Bhumibol, who is Rama IX.
Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok
Author: Heinrich Damm (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
How to reach Wat Bowomniwet
Take a taxi there. The address is 248 Thanon Phra Sumen.
Location Map of Wat Bowomniwet
Click here to view the Google Map to Wat Bowonniwet.
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