Wat Boromracha Kanchanapisek Anusorn in Nonthaburi radiates art and wisdom in equal measure
PATSINEE KRANLERT
Temples in this Buddhist country ain't just centres of faith for performing religious rites connected with people's daily lives, some of them also radiate with fine and precious works of art that beg attention.
I have visited countless temples, but Wat Boromracha Kanchanapisek Anusorn is no ordinary temple and probably one of the most striking Chinese landmarks ever created in this country.
Arriving at the main entrance I stood stunned, almost forgetting for a while that I was in Thailand. With its grandeur and magnificent architecture built in traditional Chinese style, I momentarily felt as if I was standing in front of a palace in China.
The breathtakingly beautiful temple was built to commemorate His Majesty the King's 80th birthday last year and the 60th anniversary of the monarch's accession to the throne the year before.
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| The Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva image is housed in this building. |
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| Wonderfully elaborate carved eaves and its beam-and-bracket roof support system. |
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| This enormous 1,000-handed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva image is made of teak wood. |
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| Colourful paintings of the bell tower's ceiling. |
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| Walls of the temple's main hall are adorned with 10,000 miniature Buddha images. |
It all started in 1996 when Phra Kanajanjin Dharma Punya Jariyaporn, the vice-patriarch of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism in Thailand and abbot of Wat Mangkorn Kamalawat in Bangkok's Chinatown felt his temple had become too small for its swelling ranks of monks and novices.
He flew in a score of master artists from China to adorn the temple with intricate mural paintings and sculptures. The Chinese artisans later joined a team of Thai architects and craftsmen in designing and building a state-of-the-art temple.
It took them 12 years to transform the tiny vegetarian hall in Bang Buathong district in neighbouring Nonthaburi into this huge and stunning complex that formally opened to the public on March 20 this year.
Despite its size, one of the temple's most striking features is its vibrant colour scheme inspired by the unique Chinese architectural art of Ming and Qing dynasties.
The design characteristics of the temple's main edifice, which features a broad stairway, were patterned based on the main structure in Beijing's Forbidden City.
However, the purpose of the monastery was not only to provide a new residence for the increasing number of monks and novices, or to facilitate worshippers. The other major objective of the abbot was to establish a learning institute that combines school curricular subjects with Buddhist doctrine for Chinese-Thai novices. Since the majority of Thai people are more familiar with Theravada Buddhism, the temple would also help sustain and spread Mahayana Buddhism in Thailand.
The magnificent structure is built on the lines of traditional Chinese architecture. Covering 12 rai, the temple sits within a walled compound fronted by an engraved wooden entrance leading to a spacious courtyard and Chinese landscaped garden decorated with rock statues.
In accordance with tradition, the arched gateway, the ordination hall and the viharns are aligned along the same directional axis. The whole area of the temple is divided into four levels.
At the forefront of the monastery facing the entrance is the Jathulokabal Shrine Hall. This building is flanked by two towers, one housing a giant drum and the other a huge brass bell. Both objects are sourced from Chaozhou in China.
According to Chinese belief, the Jathulokabal statues standing in four different directions inside the hall are there to protect the monastery from evil spirit.
Beyond a wall of granite, a marble walkway leads to the heart of the grand temple or the ubosoth which houses the three large glistening Buddha images cast from brass, adjacent to which are the chief disciples of Mahayana Buddhism, an exquisite collection of 18 statues of Buddhist saints and other religious figures.
Next, on the temple's third floor sits a 1,000-handed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue inside the hall. This gracefully poised Guan Yin image that Chinese Buddhists revere as the Goddess of Compassion, is the biggest teakwood sculpture in the world.
The Sukkavadi Meun Buddhasukkavadi Buddhakaset Hall occupies the fourth floor of the main building. Stepping inside, I was amazed to see whole walls covered with 10,000 small but glittering images of Buddha.
The monastery acquires its stunning appearance from a richly decorated carved roof with the figures of animals deemed auspicious in Chinese mythology and elaborately carved beam-and-bracket roof support.
Furthermore, proficient artistic skills can be seen from the beautiful work done on the interior of the temple.
The wooden doors and granite walls are laden with engraving, and its ceiling as well as stone columns are filled with colourful mural paintings in classical Chinese style.
Indeed, the monastery is a showcase of Chinese Buddhism and its unique qualities, while the gorgeous decoration proves that those who were tasked to construct it must have worked in perfect harmony to create this masterpiece.
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