Connecting heaven and Earth

Connecting heaven and Earth

Continuing our hop-on, hop-off series, our reporter scours Bangkok on the lookout for the imaginary animals who inhabit Himmapan forest

TRAVEL
Connecting heaven and Earth
Phutthaisawan Throne Hall now houses a highly revered Phra Buddha Sihing image.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand recently launched the Himmapan Project using five cute cartoon characters of mythical creatures based on Buddhist and Hindu beliefs to boost domestic tourism. This inspired me to grab a camera and scour for other imaginary animals from the Himmapan forest, which is a bridge connecting Earth and heaven.

Strolling around Rattanakosin island, tourists can learn how these creatures have camouflaged themselves in murals and sculptures and how they are essential representations of Buddhist cosmology in temple architecture.

"Expanding from India to the Sukhothai kingdom, Siam has embraced the Tribhumi principle, which pertains to the existence of the worlds -- hell, Earth and heaven. Situated to the south of Mount Meru, the Earth represents Jambudvipa, in which humans live and Buddhism is thriving," said Thanat Bhumarush, tourism division officer of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, who served as a special guide.

"Following Buddhist belief, the Himmapan jungle stretches over the foot of Mount Meru, the centre of the universe, that is home to more than 1,000 kinds of mythical creatures."

On a Saturday morning, our expedition began at Phutthaisawan Throne Hall, located in the Bangkok National Museum. The hall was erected in 1787 before being refurbished during the reign of King Rama III to enshrine a sacred Lanna-Sukhothai-style statue of Phra Buddha Sihing, which was brought from Chiang Mai by Krom Phra Ratchawangbovorn Mahasurasinghanart.

From left: At the front of Phutthaisawan Throne Hall, nok thanthima (garudas with a bird’s head, peacock’s tail, human’s limbs, ox’s ears and crocodile’s eyes) serves as a guardian; A collection of carved scripture cabinets and lacquered gold-gilded screens at Phutthaisawan Throne Hall illustrate chapters of the Ramakien epic.

The entrance of the Interior Ministry is lined with statues of ratchasi (lion king) and kodchasi to represent strength and power.

On view are gold and silver tributary trees from Malaysia and Singapore and a wide range of carved scripture cabinets and lacquered gold-gilded screens with astonishing paintings that capture scenes from the Ramakien epic to symbolise the god king, following Hindu belief. The walls are covered with timeworn murals depicting Buddha's life and the gathering of angels to pay respect to Buddha.

"Influenced by Chinese culture, elaborate gold-gilded screens were used in the throne hall and decorated with Thai-style paintings featuring fabled Himmapan creatures such as kinnaree, garuda-like paksawayu, and nok sadayu with human-like muscles and a swan tail," Thanat said.

"The original Ramayana epic had a focus on avatars of Hindu gods with supernatural power, but in Thailand, artisans also added Himmapan creatures into the story. All Himmapan characters have been extracted from imagination, so artisans had freedom to show off their creativity. Sometimes, their works mingled Chinese, Indian and Persian styles."

Outside, four statues of nok thanthima (garudas with a bird's head, peacock's tail, human's limbs, ox's ears and crocodile's eyes) are standing to guard the entrance of the hall, while the green courtyard is designed to look like the Himmapan forest.

A pair of demons guard the chapel of the Emerald Buddha.

The chapel of the Emerald Buddha is adorned with gold statues of a garuda eating a naga.

Phra Mondop was constructed during the reign of King Rama I as a library.

The headquarters of the Defence Ministry boasts a statue of a kodchasi (a lion-elephant mix).

A stone's throw from Bangkok National Museum is Wat Phra Kaew, located in the outer royal court of the Grand Palace. It was constructed in 1782 and took inspiration from Wat Phra Si Sanphet in the Ayutthaya period.

It is famous for the chapel of the revered northern-style Emerald Buddha statue, believed to have been created in the 15th century, that wears three seasonal costumes -- the summer and rainy collections were tailored during the reign of King Rama I while the winter design was fashioned out of gold and jewellery from the reign of King Rama III.

The monastery compound also houses the gold Phra Siratana Chedi, built by King Rama IV to enshrine Buddha relics from Sri Lanka and ancient gold scripture. This Ceylonese-style stupa has a circular base and a bell shape originally adorned with the golden tile mosaics when Siam adopted Western culture during the reign of King Rama V.

Built in 1856 and adorned with ceramic tiles, Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, with its prang summit, is a mixture of Thai-Khmer-style architecture and now serves the Royal Pantheon, in which statues of the previous nine Thai kings are installed inside. Alongside, Phra Mondop was constructed during the reign of King Rama I to be a library, home to a large beautiful mother-of-pearl inlay scripture cabinet. The compound boasts a wide collection of gold sculptures inspired by Himmapan creatures.

The compound boasts a wide collection of gold sculptures inspired by apocryphal Himmapan creatures such as singha pa norn (a monkey with singha legs and tail), asura paksi (a hybrid of a demon and bird) as well as kinnorn and thep paksi (a mixture of human and birds).

Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram is home to the gigantic 46m statue of Phra Buddha Saiyas (Recling Buddha), with the mother-of-pearl inlaid soles featuring 108 auspicious symbols.

Wat Suthat Thepwararam is adorned with a series of mythical Himmapan creature-inspired sculptures.

Wat Suthat Thepwararam is famous for its astonishing 200-yearold murals depicting Buddha’s life and Himmapan creatures.

"The ground is trimmed with shade trees and hand-painted walls depicting plants and fabled Chinese-style animals to make it look like the Himmapan forest. The stairways to Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn represent the path to Mount Meru, while the Naga-like staircases in front of Phra Mondop links the Earth with Buddhism," Thanat said.

Running clockwise from the north gate, visitors can admire a series of astonishing murals around the 2km-long cloister. There are all 178 dramatic scenes first painted during the reign of King Rama III, depicting the Ramakien epic on the walls.

Next door is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram, which was built during the Ayutthaya era and restored during the reign of King Rama I to be a royal monastery. Later, it again underwent a massive renovation by King Rama III, who spent 16 years adding two viharas, the Missakawan Park, a library hall and teaching hall into the monastery compound.

The highlight is the main hall, home to the gigantic 46m statue of Phra Buddha Saiyas (Reclining Buddha), with mother-of-pearl inlaid soles featuring 108 auspicious symbols.

Following the ancient scripture of Sri Lanka, the soles illustrate angels in heaven and several kinds of whimsical creatures like a lion king, swan, nagas, elephants and peacocks living in the Himmapan forest or around the Anodard pond, while a Chinese sailing junk symbolises the journey to enlightenment.

A water jar, pair of fish, a bunch of gems and lotus bring fortune and prosperity, along with symbols of the greatness of the monarchy such as the throne and other royal belongings.

Opposite Wat Phra Kaew, the historical building of the Defence Ministry boasts classic neo-Palladian architecture designed by Italian architect Joachim Grassi. It was constructed between 1882 and 1884 to be the front soldier's barracks before being transformed into the Defence Ministry headquarters in 1887.

Its entrance is decorated with a kodchasi, a hybrid of a lion and elephant that was adapted from the Three Seals Law of the Ayutthaya kingdom. Also on display is a gold coat of arms created during the reign of King Chulalongkorn and inspired by the erawan elephant with three heads to represent Thailand. In 1997, this building received the ASA Architectural Conservation Award before the Fine Arts Department added it to a list of ancient monuments in 1998.

"The building underwent several additions, so it became a mixture of modern and classic designs. Each floor has different windows both in rectangular and arch forms, while a balcony was created in the period of Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Piboonsongkram," Thanat said.

Located 280m away from the Defence Ministry, we headed to the headquarters of the Interior Ministry on Atsadang Road and caught a glimpse of unique craftsmanship. This Neoclassical-style building was erected in the reign of King Chulalongkorn and its entrance is home to a statue of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, who served as the first minister of state. There's a pair of stone statues of a ratchasi (lion king) and kodchasi to represent strength and power.

Just an eight-minute walk from the Interior Ministry was our last stop, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, famed for its astonishing 200-year-old murals which were painted during the reign of King Rama III. Back in 1807, King Rama I constructed this building to house the large statue of the Phra Srisakayamuni Buddha from Wat Maha That in Sukhothai province.

"In the early Rattanakosin period, this temple stood at the navel of the city or the centre of Phra Nakhon, home to the Giant Swing. Its design had adhered to Buddhist cosmology and the ordination hall represents Jambudvipa, the thriving land of Buddhism," Thanat said.

In the ordination hall, the walls are covered by murals, which recount Buddha's life and the gathering of Hindu deities such as Brahman, Shiva, Ganesha and Surya to listen to a sermon. Some scenes depict a large group of mythical creatures like gurudas, nagas, elephants, singha and kodchapaksi grazing around the Himmapan forest, while kinnarees (a mixture of a woman and a bird) are taking a bath in the Anodard pond. "Himmapan creatures on Wat Suthat's murals are models of Rattanakosin-style artworks. Now, murals in the vihara are undergoing a massive restoration and depict rare characters like kunchorn waree [a hybrid of an elephant and a fish], 10 kinds of elephants and ratchasi [the lion king] and makon [a mixture of a crocodile and a naga]. All are influenced by Ayutthaya-style art," Thanat said.

TRAVEL INFO

  • Phutthaisawan Throne Hall is located in the Bangkok National Museum (about 1.6km from MRT Sanam Chai.) It's open Wednesday to Sunday, 8.30am to 4pm. Tickets are 30 baht. Call 02-224-1402.
  • Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram is a three-minute walk from the MRT Sanam Chai. The temple is open daily from 8.30am to 5pm. More details can be obtained at watpho.com.
  • The Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace is located 1km from MRT Sanam Chai. Entry is free for Thai nationals and 500 baht for foreigners, inclusive of access to Wat Phra Kaew, the Royal Thai Decorations and Coins Pavilion and Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Due to the new wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, the temple is temporarily closed. Find out further information at royalgrandpalace.th/en/home.
  • The Defence Ministry stands opposite the Grand Palace.
  • The Interior Ministry's headquarters is on Atsadang Road around 900m from MRT Sanam Chai.
  • Wat Suthat Thepwararam is situated 600m from MRT Sam Yot. It's open daily from 8.30am to 5pm.
Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT