Traveling Royal Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple
Saturday 22 September 2550
Royal Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Temple
Phra Kaew Morakot or official name Phra Phuttha Maha Mani Ratana Patimakorn) is the palladium kwan meuang; colloquially of the Kingdom of Thailand, a figurine of the sitting Buddha, made of green jade (rather than emerald), clothed in gold, and about 45 cm tall. It is kept in the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
This city landmark should be the first place on any itinerary and a ''must see'' for all visitors to Bangkok. The Grand Palace, once a royal residence is a huge compound surrounded by high white walls and occupies an area of about a square mile, The Royal chapel, Wat Phra Kaeo, is in the same compound, houses the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand.
The Royal Grand Palace
The Royal Grand Palace once a royal residence is a huge compound on Na Phra Lan Road with proud golden domes, inspirational spires, exotic wall mural and breathtaking ceramic decorations, is surrounded by high white walls and occupies an area of about a square mile. The palace, begun in 1782, consists of several buildings with highly decorated architectural details. The Royal Chapel or Wat Phra Kaew famously known as Temple of Emerald Buddha is situated in the same compound, it houses the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand. The Grand Palace or Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang for Thai is today used by the king only for certain ceremonial occasions such as Coronation Day
Wat Phra Kaew
Also known as temple of The Emerald Buddha - the temple dates back to 1782 when Bangkok was founded. Regarded as the most significant of all Thai temples, the 945,000 square-meter temple compound, which occupies one corner of the Grand Palace complex, encompasses over 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation. The temple was built to house a green Buddha image that King Rama I had brought from Vientiane when he captured the city in 1778. He built the temple and enshrined the ''Emerald'' Buddha there as a symbol of Siam''s regained nationhood. The "Emerald Buddha" was carved from one piece of emerald green jade. The Buddha figure sits high up on an altar of gold designed to represent the traditional aerial chariot attributed to Hindu gods on the murals of this country.
Today, thousands of worshippers pay their respects in front of the statue.
Two seasonal costumes were made for the Emerald Buddha by King Rama I,one for the summer season and one for the rainy season. King Rama III had another costume made for winter season. The ceremonial changing of costumes takes place three times a year and is done by his Majesty the King.
Despite it''s national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn''t have any resident monks, therefore it is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way that most other Wats are in Thailand. It is basically the personal chapel for the royal family.
On the upper terrace, next to the Chapel Royal are three other very sacred buildings: the Royal Pantheon, surrounded by gilded male and female Kinaree, half-human figures, which hold the Tripitaka, the sacred Buddhist sculptures; and the impressive golden Phra si Rattana Chedi which houses ashes of Buddha
Gold clothing
The Emerald Buddha itself is simply the jade statue, but it is adorned with garments made of gold. There are three different sets of gold clothing, which are changed by the King of Thailand in a ceremony at the changing of the seasons - in the 1st Waning of Lunar Months 4, 8 and 12 (around March, July and November). The three sets of gold garments correspond to Thailand''s hot season, rainy season, and cool season. The two sets of gold clothing not in use at any given time are kept on display in the nearby Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Thai Coins on the grounds of the Grand Palace, where the public may view them.
History
According to legend, the Emerald Buddha was created in India in 43 BC by Nagasena in the city of Pataliputra (today Patna). The legends state that after remaining in Pataliputra for three hundred years, it was taken to Sri Lanka to save it from a civil war. In 457, King Anuruth of Burma sent a mission to Ceylon to ask for Buddhist scriptures and the Emerald Buddha, in order to support Buddhism in his country. These requests were granted, but the ship lost its way in a storm during the return voyage and landed in Cambodia. When the Thais captured Angkor Wat (following the ravage of the bubonic plague), the Emerald Buddha went to Ayutthaya (Cambodian historians record this as a gift to the Siamese King), Kamphaeng Phet, Laos and finally Chiang Rai, where the ruler of the city hid it. However, some art historians describe the Emerald Buddha as belonging to the Chiang Saen Style of the 15th Century AD, which would mean it is actually of Lannathai origin.
Historical sources indicate that the statue surfaced in northern Thailand in the Lannathai kingdom in 1434. One account of its discovery tells that lightning struck a pagoda in a temple in Chiang Rai, after which something became visible beneath the stucco. The Buddha was dug out and the people believed the figurine to be made of emerald, hence its name. King Sam Fang Kaen of Lannathai wanted it in his capital, Chiang Mai, but the elephant carrying it insisted, on three separate occasions, on going instead to Lampang. This was taken as a divine sign and the Emerald Buddha stayed in Lampang until 1468, when it was finally moved to Chiang Mai, where it was kept at Wat Chedi Luang.
The Emerald Buddha remained in Chiang Mai until 1552, when it was taken to Luang Prabang, then the capital of the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang. Some years earlier, the crown prince of Lan Xang, Setthathirath, had been invited to occupy the vacant throne of Lannathai. However, Prince Setthathirath also became king of Lan Xang when his father, Photisarath, died. He returned home, taking the revered Buddha figure with him. In 1564, King Setthathirath moved it to his new capital at Vientiane. NOTE: Setthathirath was of Lao, Thai and Lanna heritage, so was a Prince of Ayuttaya & Chiang Mai as well as the crown prince of Luang Prabang. Thai history records that Setthathirath removed the image without authority when the government of Chiang Mai fell into strife.
2007 BangkokSociety.com