2001 Photograph, Wat Phra Kaew Chapel
Royal of the Emerald Buddha on the left with Phra Debidorn on the right,
Grand Palace, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand, © 2020.
ภาพถ่าย ๒๕๔๔ วัดพระแก้ว และ ปราสาทพระเทพบิดร พระบรมมหาราชวัง พระนคร กรุงเทพฯ ประเทศไทย
The Temple or Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha, located in a separate
complex within the compound of the Grand Palace, is Thailand's holiest
shrine. Officially named Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram, the temple complex
was modeled along the same lines as grand chapels from the Sukhothai and
Ayutthaya eras. No monks reside within the temple. Construction of this site
started in 1782, the year of the founding of Bangkok, as a shrine for the
Emerald Buddha, a 66-cm tall jadeite statue and Thailand's most sacred
Buddha image.
The Emerald Buddha, thought to be Lanna (Chiang Mai region) in style, sits
atop an ornate gilded altar inside the 'bot' or royal chapel. The image
wears three different costumes depending on the season: a crown and jewelry
in the hot season; a golden shawl in winter; and a gilt robe and headdress
in the rains. Each change of costume is presided over by the reigning
monarch. |
