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Wat Arun Ratchawararam
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Wat Alun is a royal temple of the first rank. It is on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River
and lies to the north of the old Royal Palace of Thon Buri. It was first built during the Ayutthaya period
and was then called as Wat Makok and later changed to Wat Chaeng. King Taksin of Thone Buri repaired the old buildings and made them his royal temple.
During the reign of King Rama I, the prince who was later to become Rama II built the new assembly hall which was finished in A.D. 1820.
When he ascended the throne he gave the temple the Name Wat Arun, commonly known as the Temple of Dawn.
King Rama III built a Pang there 81 metres high and renovated the whole temple, but he passed away before he could celebrate its inauguration.
King Rama IV carried out the celebration ceremoniously and added the Mondop in the compound.
Wat Alun is attractive in its striking prangs (a kind of pagodas)
which are decorated with millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain. Its central prang, at a height of
a 20-storey building, is the tallest prang of Thailand where a good view of the nearby surroundings can be obtained.
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Chinese granite-made figures surrounding the major Prang
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Important Edifices in the Temple
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The great and small Prangs, including the boundary walls and other structures, are intricately decorated.
The multi-colored porcelain features a traditional Thai design called Kanok, and floral patterns, among others.
The Ubosot, which is of the late Ayutthaya style artform houses the presiding Buddha image in the posture of subduing Mara
(the personification of evil on Earth). King Mongkut named the Buddha images "Phra Buddha Dhammamitsara ratchalokathatdilok."
Legend states that it ws King Rama II himself who sculpted the face of the Buddha image.
The Cloister of the Prang at Wat Arun, on the blank of the Chao Phraya River
Next to the Grand Palace, on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya River,
The Temple of the Dawn is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Bangkok.
And while dawn sees it at its best, a visit there at any time of the day is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Open from 7.00 a.m.- 5.00 p.m., admission is 10 baht. Wat Arun is conveniently reached
by river from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho.
Chinese granite-made figures surrounding the major Prang
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