Thailand: Day 2 - Bangkok

We took a ferry boat from our hotel down the Chao Phraya River to spend a day at the  main Buddist Temple - Wat Pho. (Pronounced "watt-po").  Wat Pho is a huge campus in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand.  Located on Rattanakosin Island, it is directly south of the Grand Palace.

The campus consists of various Pagodas (in which the cremains of the dead are stored); worship areas and hundreds of Buddha statutes - (sitting, standing and a HUGE reclining Buddah statue).  The campus is a sacred place where 300 monks live; Bangkok residents come to worship; and thousands of visitors come to tour every year.

Buddhism is practiced by 94% of the Thai people.  Their Buddha is not the "fat and happy" version - but rather, Thai people worship the Gautama Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama).  Gautama Buddha is the primary figure in Buddhism; he was a real person and a spiritual leader that lived over 2,500 years ago.  His teachings eventually became the foundation of Buddhism, and he is recognized by Buddhists as the “enlightened” one.

The following pictures are all from the campus of Wat Pho.  Everything on the campus is intricate in design and detail - with glass mosaic designs and gold foil overlays as well as extraordinary stone carvings.   The temple is considered the earliest center for public education in  medicine/healing in Thailand.  It houses a school of Thai medicine  and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.  Thai massage is still taught and practiced at the temple.

A few of the many pagan statues guarding the various entrances of the Wat Pho campus. 

Sitting Buddhas - there are over 170 of them throughout the campus. 

This Buddha statute, inside one of the worship temples, is almost 3 stories high. 

Hundreds of intricate Pagodas, with cut glass and ceramic craftmanship are scattered throughout Wat Pho.  The cremains of Bangkok citizens are housed in the Pagodas.  In Thailand, after death, bodies are cremated and not buried. 

Standing Buddhas line this particular worship hall.  There are over 200 standing Buddahs 

Many of the Pagodas are several stories high; this one is at least 4 stories. 

Unique waterfalls on the campus provide worshipers an opportunity to pay homage to statutes of gods
 that are situated in and among the flora. 

This reclining Buddha is 50 feet high and 150 feet long.  It was built by King Rama III in 1832; the Buddha was constructed first and the building surrounding the Buddha was built to house the figure.  More intricate pictures can be found at this site: https://www.photodharma.net/Thailand/Wat-Pho-Buildings/Wat-Pho-Buildings.htm 

Smaller statues are located inside the temple of the reclining Buddha