Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn
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The Khlong San neighborhood is full of historical treasure not found on any tourist map
ONCE
A thriving trade hub on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, today the
Khlong San neighborhood is a popular biking and walking route with
travellers, both local and foreign, and a treasure trove of history
dating back to the Thon Buri and early Rattanakosin kingdoms.
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Despite being a stone’s throw away from downtown Bangkok, it’s a place
to escape the city’s fast pace while indulging in a diversity of
cultures. Thai temples stand proudly beside Chinese shrines and mosques
along the riverside mixed in with old houses and businesses that pay
testament to the craftsmanship of the past.
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In 1829, Thad Bunnag, a regent serving as Somdet Chao Phraya Bor om Maha Pichaiyat, restored an abandoned temple built in the Ayutthaya
period and dedicated it to King Rama III. King Rama IV later renamed it
Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn.
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Located on Somdet Chao Phraya Road, the temple blends classic Thai
and Chinese style architecture. A mix of such materials as cement,
ballast, coloured tiles and Chinese stones add an exotic touch.
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The entrance has an auspicious arch decorated with Thai-style ornaments,
while a pair of lion-shaped stone statues act as the gatekeepers.
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“In the past, most of the properties in Khlong San district were owned
by Bunnag family. During his reign, King Rama III had a project to
renovate many temples around the town, and Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha
Pichaiyat was in charge of Krung Thonburi and Phra Nakhon districts. To
save time and money, King Rama III renovated all temples with plain
walls and roofs. There were no longer any gables or tooth-like ridges on
the edge of gables because they made from wood and were therefore not
durable,” explains Thanat Bhumarush from the tourism division of Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration.
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This fine mural at Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn depicts
auspicious symbols such as a falling flower, pomegranate and butterfly.
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A soaring Ubosot stands in middle showcasing a pink Chinese-style
pediment on its roof, adorned with beautifully crafted coloured tiles
and ceramic-ware that looks like dragons flying in the sky.
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The
temple is home to an ancient Sukhothai-style Buddha statue from
Phitsanulok province with an oval, smiling face, spiral-like hair and a
bulging chest. There’s also a boundary maker fashioned from granite and
engraved with a breast chain motif.
The walls are covered with
murals depicting such auspicious symbols as a falling flower referencing
goodness, a butterfly referring to long life and pomegranate
representing numerous descendants.
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“The two-dimensional murals
were influenced by the Ayutthaya period. Skilled artisans used organic
colours made from natural materials. For example, the white came from
shells, the red was blended from sealing lac, the brown was extracted
from bark and the yellow obtained from ore,” Thanat says.
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Inspired by Mount Meru, the white beautiful stupa is a combination of
Khmer and Indian styles and borrows from the shapes of corn and bells.
It houses four gold Buddha statues and four footprints, paying tribute
to the four lords of Buddha.
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During the reign of King Rama III, Somdet Thad’s wife built Wat Anong
Kharam. This temple is lined with stone boundary makers imported from
China and a sacred ubosot that’s home to a Phra Chulanak statue from
Sukhothai province. There’s also a small Buddha statue called Phra
Phuttamongkol, created by the Bunnag family, that is plated with bronze
and copper and contained in a movable gold pavilion and a refined
painting that plays with Thai proverbs.
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A little further along
on the riverbank stands the Gong Wu Shrine. It was erected back in 1736
as a place of worship by Teochew migrants. Refurbished in 1901, this
sacred shrine features a collection of three Gong Wu sculptures from
China and a stunning mural telling the story of the Buddhist monk
Xuanzang as he travelled with his followers from China to India.
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“The design is based on the principles of feng shui and uses
crab-like sculptures to represent the monk’s followers and shows two
Western men carrying a shoulder pole,” Thanat explains.
A short
walk from the shrine is the old Laem Thong salt factory, which 50 years
ago produced 1,000 tons of salt every month for export to Malaysia and
Singapore. Today, the factory is located in Khlong Dao Khanong and
distributes saline to Malaysia and Borneo Island for use in the tofu
industry.
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Surrounded by old shophouses and warehouses is the
Saifee Mosque, a white masjid that mimics the design of the original
mosque in Bharuch, India.
Its history dates back to 1907 when an
Indian diamond merchant and his family transformed an old warehouse into
a two-storey mosque using premium-grade granite and marble left over
from the construction of Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall.
.Source - TheNation
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.Source - TheNation
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