When was wat pho built

Simply put it is following the path of righteousness. Hindus believe dharma to be the foundation of life. A visit to Bangkok will not be complete without a Thai massage. Actually, Thai people believe that there is more than meets the eye as far as Thai healing is concerned and it all revolves around Wat Pho. It is considered to be the first higher center of learning when it comes to Thai massage and healing. This ancient art of using pressure along the muscular and nervous system has been used in Thailand during the 12 th century particularly in the Sukothai period.

The methods were improved until finally the a new centre of learning was built in Wat Pho. You'll even find slightly fewer tourists here than at neighboring Wat Phra Kaew. The rambling grounds of Wat Pho cover eight hectares, with the major tourist sites occupying the northern side of Th Chetuphon and the monastic facilities found on the southern side.

The temple compound is also the national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage, a mandate legislated by Rama III when the tradition was in danger of extinction. The famous massage school has two massage pavilions located within the temple area and additional rooms within the training facility outside the temple.

A common public ritual at the temple of the Reclining Buddha is to donate coins representing alms in a series of metal bowls placed in a long row to the rear of the Buddha statue. If you don't have enough coins on you, an attendant will oblige you with loose change for bigger denominations.

Originally known as Wat Phodharam, it was restored in by King Rama I, who by then had built the Grand Palace next door and established Bangkok as the capital of Thailand. The Reclining Buddha was completed in and remains the largest in Bangkok. The figure itself is modelled out of plaster around a brick core and is finished in gold leaf.

Between and , some stone inscriptions were added by King Rama III and Thai scholars to preserve cultural heritage, including Thai massages, which is why Wat Pho remains the national headquarters for the teaching of traditional Thai medicine. The compound was last restored ahead of the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration in Wat Pho is open daily from ampm and entry tickets cost B.

Travel Guides. Videos Beyond Hollywood Hungerlust Pioneers of love. Kelly Iverson. Give us feedback. Read Next. Most of the images were brought over from abandoned temples in places as Ayutthaya and Sukhothai by order of King Rama I. The temple was built on the site of an older, Ayutthaya era temple named Wat Photharam right next to the Grand Palace.

During the reign of King Rama III the temple complex was renovated and enlarged which took over 16 years to complete. The temple is famous for its enormous gold plated Reclining Buddha image. Although the image is sometimes referred to as the lying Buddha or the sleeping Buddha, the Reclining Buddha shows the passing of the Buddha into final Nirvana after death.

Along the Phra Phuttha Saiyat image you will find a matching bronze bowls, where people donate coins believed to bring good fortune. In a small garden next to the housing of the Reclining Buddha you will find a Bodhi tree that is a descendant of the Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya in India under which the Buddha reached enlightenment.

The 20 acres temple complex consists of two walled parts separated by a road. The North end closest the Grand Palace contains the main structures like the ubosot , the viharns and the Reclining Buddha. The South end contains the monks private living quarters and a school.