Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan
วัดอรุณราชวราราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร , Bangkok

Wat Arun, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


Wat Arun (GPS: 13.7437, 100.48892; Thai: วัดอรุณราชวราราม ราชวรมหาวิหาร ) is one of the most important temples in Bangkok. It is often known simply as Wat Arun, and in English as the Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun is located at 34 Arun Amarin Road, in Bangkok Yai, one of the two districts in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River which gave the English name "Bangkok" to the whole city.

The central prang, or pagoda, of Wat Arun is one of the most iconic symbols of Bangkok, adopted as the crest of the Tourist Authority of Thailand, TAT, as well as on the 10-baht coin. The main prang is between 66.8 and 68 meters tall. It is surrounded on four sides by smaller prangs, an arrangement that is to represent Mount Meru, the traditional abode of the gods in Hinduism and centre of the cosmos in Buddhism. The architectural style is Ayutthayan, with influences from the Khmer, which in turn bears elements of Hinduism.

Wat Arun is older than Bangkok itself, having been established when the capital was in Ayutthaya. Originally, it was known as Wat Makok, or Olive Temple. When General Phraya Taksin arrived at Thonburi at dawn, he renamed it Wat Chaeng, meaning Bright Temple. It served as his royal chapel and housed the Emerald Buddha until it was moved to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1785. Under the reign of King Rama II, its name was changed to Wat Arun Ratchatharam, after Aruna, a Hindu god of dawn. Finally, under King Rama IV, it got its present name, Wat Arun Ratchawararam.

The main prang and the four smaller prangs are decorated with broken porcelain, bearing influences of Chinese chien-nien (broken-porcelain) art. The porcelain pieces, donated by the locals as a form of merit making, are arranged to form floral patterns though some as simply pasted whole onto the prangs.

In niches at the smaller prangs are statues of Phra Pai, the god of wind, on horseback. Around the base of the prangs are rows of yaksha, "demons" that lend support to the structure. Within the compound of Wat Arun (and as a matter of fact, a few other Buddhist temples in Bangkok), you can find life-style Chinese-style sculptures of warriors or guards. These are actually ballasts used by cargo ships that ply between China and Bangkok, and are now installed at the temples as ornamentations.

The main prang of Wat Arun sit on a square base, with a mondop at each cardinal point, and a smaller (but nonetheless still gigantic) prang at each of its four corners.

Wat Arun played host to the famous Emerald Buddha when it was brought there by Thai Genberal Chao Phraya Chakri in 1779, after the general captured Vientiane and carted the statue to Siam. It was there for about three years, when King Rama I relocated the capital across the river to the island of Rattanakosin, and with that, brought the Emerald Buddha across the river as well.

Wat Arun, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


Looking up the main prang of Wat Arun, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


The viharn of Wat Arun, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


Inside the viharn of Wat Arun, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)

Wat Arun at night

On 24 December, 2005, my friends and I visited Wat Arun at night and took these photos.

Wat Arun at night, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


Wat Arun at night, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


The bot or ubosot (ordination hall) of Wat Arun at night, Bangkok (30 December, 2002)


The principal prang of Wat Arun, with one of the four corner prangs to its left. (30 December, 2002)


Fence ornamentation at Wat Arun. (30 December, 2002)


View of the central prang of Wat Arun against one of its mondop. (30 December, 2002)


The central prang of Wat Arun. (30 December, 2002)


The central prang of Wat Arun. (30 December, 2002)


The viharn of Wat Arun. (30 December, 2002)


The Phra Mondop of Wat Arun. (30 December, 2002)


View of the prangs of Wat Arun against one of its gatehouses. (30 December, 2002)


On the grounds of Wat Arun facing the Chao Phraya River is the statue of King Rama II, the king who restored the temple and its principal prang.

View of the prangs of Wat Arun against one of its gatehouses. (30 December, 2002)

Wat Arun on Google Street View

Wat Arun (Nov 2012)

Getting there

Assuming you are coming from the main part of Bangkok, which is on the east bank of the Chao Phraya river, take a ferry boat across the river from Tha Tian Express Boat Pier located at Thai Wang Road. The ferry operates from 6:00am to 10:00pm daily. The journey across the river takes about 10-15 minutes.

Location: Arun Amarin Road
Opening hours: 8:30am to 5:30pm daily

Wat Arun is on the Map of Bangkok

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List of Wats in Bangkok and Wats in Thailand; list of Districts of Bangkok

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