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Published: July 22nd 2009
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There are many things that are plentiful in Bangkok. Cheap stalls of great food, pirated dvd’s, smiles from local people and spectacular Wats (temples) are a few worth mentioning. As I spend time walking through the streets of Bangkok, or sometimes simply clutching on to the Tuk Tuk as it zips and dodges cars through traffic, the culture of Thailand begins to reveal itself. From my Western perspective, it is an exotic charm. While the buildings, food and customs are all so different and intriguing, the city is always open to sharing about itself. The result is the makings for another good adventure out East.
The next stops on this journey included the Standing Buddha, Wat Arun, The Grand Palace and a few other minor stops. As for the standing Buddha, looking up at a 5 story golden statue in a clear blue sky can be a bit awe inspiring. An interesting part of this temple, like many others, is the constant flow of people paying respects. Some may light incense as offerings, while others may bring food or other offering to the spirits as well as a few people come to merely sit and meditate in front of the
various shrines. One of my favorites though was watching people ‘consult’ the spirits with the ubiquitous chance sticks. This works by using a canister of various sticks, all marked with different answers to a posed question. This canister gets shaken, with the spirits giving some ‘guidance’ leading to one stick eventually falling out, providing a divine answer.
Wat Arun is the oldest temple in Bangkok, and with its own appeal. At sunset time, there is a glow that is taken on by the walls and columns. For me, getting very close and seeing the precise detail that is carried out in the entire temple was nothing less than impressive. Each piece of tile has a high level of craftsmanship put into it. Once you see an example of this work up close, standing far away gives you a whole new appreciation. Walking up the steep steps, with the help of guard rails, I felt as if I was climbing up the very side of the temple. Once at the top, there is again another great view of the city. Being at the bank of the river and seeing the many boats move through Bangkok while standing on a temple
helps to provide a sense of while many things have changed in this city of angels, many things have remained the same. Sitting inside one of the temple’s, looking upon the traditional images all while the erythematic chanting of the monks reverberate through the walls, one can get a sense of something ancient. Perhaps this is simply a moment in which I was able to get a sense of the soul of this area. Once again, this exotic charm was a warm and welcome presence.
Rounding up the temples in Bangkok that I was able to see, one can not overlook the Grand Palace. At this palace, and temples within, the monarchy resided for a long time, as well as still conducts much of its business at this setting. While the style and charm still retained a similar theme as with the rest of the major temples, the Grand Palace sought to take this to a much higher level. As the pictures show, it’s quite apparent they did a good job of reaching this goal. Entering the Grand Palace, one becomes acquainted with the many ‘demons’ that guard and protect the area. Of a historical note at the
Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha resides here. Apparantly, the Buddha is actually made of Jade, and was made back in 43 b.c. The Buddha has been a highly valued item, being taken from various kingdoms throughout various wars. As of now, it rests in the Grand Palace, with many pilgrims everyday visiting to pay respects. This Buddha actually has different sets fo golden clothes, one for each season of the year. Put simpy, this 45 cm statue is a historical treasure of Thailand.
Looking upon the walls of one of the many courtyards, the paintings and murals dating back hundreds of years stylistically recall many famous stories. When I stood close though to the Stupas as well as the many ornately decorated columns, the word majestic came to mind. I have come to realize that these temples, containing so many angles and directions, exude the art of the culture. They are beautiful. Taking a warm and pleasant day to appreciate what has been created here makes for a truly worthwhile experience.
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Anastasiya Tchemodanova
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Wonderful pictures
The demons guarding the temple are called Yak Yai ( I used to live in Thailand for 7 years)