Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

River view from Chao Phraya, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Chinese style sculpture, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Chinese style sculpture, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Mural and Buddhas, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Peeling mural, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Tilework, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Ornate decoration with tiles and broken pottery, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Worshipper at Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Thai Baht banknotes fluttering in the breeze, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Fancy Nissan temple car, Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

Ferry on the Chao Phraya, in front of Wat Arun, Thonburi, Bangkok

THE TEMPLE OF THE DAWN, known as Wat Arun, lies on the western bank of the Chao Phraya. It was built in the late 18th Century and on the sight of a former shrine. The temple is one of Thailand's most revered sites, in part because it was established by the heroic King Taksin along with his new capital of Thonburi. All this came about because of the destruction of Ayathaya, by the Burmese, in 1767. Although the invaders were eventually driven off, the Thai capital was moved here. The temple's name derives from the Indian god of dawn (Aruna). Wat Arun was once within the grounds of a palace that was later relocated across the river, in present day Bangkok. 

I did not even consider climbing the stairs, that ascended the central Prang or spire, because of the afternoon heat. Seeing its majesty from ground level sufficed. That dominant structure is 82 metres (260 feet) high and a heavenly example of Thai temple architecture. It was built in the first half of the 19th Century and in the reigns of Rama II and Rama III. The surrounding halls and courtyards were interesting too with their numerous murals, sculptures, tile work and even plastered surfaces embedded with pieces of glass and chinese pottery. This attention to detail and the profusion of decoration was quintessentially Thai, certainly Buddhist and to a lesser extent, even Hinduist. 

My visit to Wat Arun took place in the gorgeous light of the late afternoon. From there, i took one of the many boats back to the main part of Bangkok, that criss-crossed the river.