|
Wat Bowonnivet Wihan
|
At the front of Wat Bowonnivet Wihan is located on the left bank of Phra Sumen Road
|
|
|
Wat Bowonnivet Wihan is located on Phra Sumen Road. It was an old temple which the Prince of the Palace to the Front during the reign of
King Rama III renovated and endowed with the image of the Buddha Janasi from the Wihan of
Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok Province.
King Rama III invited Prince Mongkut to be the abbot of this temple in A.D. 1832. The king built a residence for him there called
Tamnak Panya. He came to stay there and installed Phra Buddha Jinasi as the presiding image of the temple and established Dharmmayuttika fraternity in an attempt to re-establish
primitive Buddhism. He repaired the ordination hall, changed the roof using glazed tiles, decorated the front gable and invited Khrua
Inkhong to paint the murals. When King Rama III passed away, Prince Mongkut left the monkhood to become king.
When King Rama V came to the throne he repaired the whole temple and built Maha Mongkut Ratchawiihayalai College.
In A.D. 1915 King Vajiravudh amalgamated Wat Rangsi Sutthawat and Wat Bowonnivet together. King Rama VII built
some cells for the monks. King Rama VII built the Dhamma school. The present King repaired the Chedi, the Tripitaka hall and the Ordination Hall.
This temple is considered to be highly important. King Rama VI and VII were ordained in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha
but stayed in this temple. The present King Bhumibol Adulyadej was ordained and
remained a monk here for two weeks in A.D. 1956.
Pond for rearing fish and turtle
|
|
|
|
|
1. The Ordination Hall
The architecture is of the period of King Rama III and remains so to this day. The hall is a very strong building with wings jutting out
from the sides. The front wing is used as the Ordination Hall while the eastern and western wings are Wihans. The pillars are square and a
verandah runs around the building. The gable boards, niches, doors and windows are decorated with stucco.
In side the Ordination Hall there are murals by the most well known artist of the
period of King Rama IV, named Khrua Inkhong. The theme of the paintings is
Dhamma in parables. They portray Europeans and their architecture. It is thought that they are copied from the European and American
oleographs which were brought in during that period. Even on the pillars in the hall, the paintings are of the same theme.
The main Buddha image in Ordination Hall was brought from Wat Sa Taphan in Phetchaburi province. It is an ancient image
cast in bronze. In A.D. 1829 the image of Phra Buddha Jinasi cast in bronze in the attitude of Subduring Mara was brought down from the
northern Wihan of Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok Province
to be installed here. On both sides of this image are seated statues of the two Supreme Patriarchs.
In front of the Ordination Hall, next to the boundary stones which were made in the time of King Rama III, there are other boundary
stones in red sandstone brought from a temple in Phetchaburi.
In the niche on the front part of the Ordination Hall, there are wooden door panels carved with a Chinese door guardians by the
artists of King Rama IV. The hall was renovated at that time. King Rama V altered the front staircase to the hall to lower it.
Outside the wall of the hall, there are two prang-shaped pavilions on both sides. The one in the east houses a standing Buddha image of
the Dvaravati period which was brought from Wat Tongpu in Lopburi. Inside the one in the west is installed a stone Dhyani Buddha image
of Srivijayan style which was originally at Borobudur in Indonesia. King Chulalongkorn
who visited Java in A.D. 1896, brought back five images of the Buddha, one of which was placed here while the four others were taken to Wat Rachathiwat.
|
|
2. The Library
This was built at the same time as the hall to house the Tripitaka, the version of Kroma
Phra Ratchawangbowon, which King Rama IV selected from the Palace to the Front.
|
|
3. The Preaching Hall
This was built at the same time as the hall enshrining the Sukhothai Walking Buddha image and the two small Buddha images.
|
|
4. The Chedi
This is behind the hall, round in shape and hollow inside. It stands on a double base for circumambulation and was built during the
reign of King Rama IV. It was renovated and covered with golden mosaic tiles in the reign of present King.
Chedi covered with golden mosaic tiles, round in shape and hollow inside, standing on a double base
|
|
5. The Wihan
This stands behind the Chedi. In the interior are murals depicting the life of the Buddha and Jataka tales. They are the works
of the artists of King Rama III. The Wihan is divided into two parts.
The front part houses a Sukhothai Buddha image called Phra Sasata brought from the southern Wihan of Wat Phra Si Rattana
Mahathat in Phitsanulok in A.D. 1863 King Rama IV placed the image here because he considered it to be as valuable as the image of
Phra Buddha Jinasi. In the rear part lies a Sukhothai reclining Buddha image there metres long. King Rama IV had the image
brought down from Wat Phra Phailuang in Sukhothai when he was still in the monkhood.
Two presiding Buddha images, the bigger on called "Phra To" brought from Wat Sa Taphan, Phetchaburi; the smaller one,
"Phra Buddha Jinasi, cast in bronze in the attitude of Subduring Mara, Brought down from Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Phitsanulok
|
|
6. The Wihan of Chinese Style
This is beside the main Wihan near the Chedi. King Rama IV had the canal between the Wihan and the Chedi filled in and had the
Chinese style Wihan built there to install the Buddha image commemorating the abbot of this temple. There are murals inside done by
Chinese artists portraying the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They were renovated during the reign of King Rama V.
|
|
7. The Open-sided Wihan
On the eastern side of the Hall, this building contains foot-print of Buddha of the Sukhothai Period
which is most beautifully carved.
|
|
8. Phra Tamnak Panya
This European style building of three-storeys was built by King Rama III for His Royal Highness Prince Mongkut when he was still in
the monkhood. It is said that this building was moved here from the Garden to the Right in the Grand Palace. King Rama IV stayed in this
building was used as the residence of Kings and Princes when they were ordained.
Maha Mongkut Ratchawiihayalai College Building
|
|
9. Phra Tamnak Phet
|
|
10. Phra Tamnak Chan
Built by King Rama V with funds from Her Royal Highness Princess Chandra Sarathawas, this building was offered as residence
to Somdej Phra Maha Samanachao Kroma Phraya Vajirayan Varoros.
|
|
11. The Hermit's Pavilion
This pavilion was built by the monks of the temple. In the space between the walls are sculptures of hermits in different yogic postures
and also some stone inscriptions on medicinal prescriptions.
|
|
12. The Plate Pavilion
Near the gate leding to Tamnak Phet, King Rama IV built this structure to store ceramics and to house and image of the Buddha.
|
|
13. The Pavilion of Queen Sri Suriyendra
This small two room building has verandahs on both sides. The top floor is an open space built of wood covered with a tin
roof. It is close to Phra Tamnak Chan, and originally belonged to Queen Sri Suriyendra, consort of King Rama IV. It originally stood in
the garden in the Grand Palace. After her death it was rebuilt in this temple.
|
