Inday Clara travels Solo #34 - A quick stop at the Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan... Wait, what?!

After my morning trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, my friend agreed to spend the whole afternoon and evening with me so he took me to one of his favorite temples to pray. That's how I came to stumble this place.

To be honest, I don't really know how to say the two last words of this temple's name but only Wat Arun. My friend Ace told me not to worry since locals simple call it as Wat Arun.

We got there through the Chao Phraya Express Boat. This made me happy because I wanted to try this one since I came to Thailand, I was just not sure how to do it. It's nice to see Thailand through another angle. The boat trip cost me 20 baht. We were able to cross the Chao Phraya river in no time.

From the boat ride, it's hard not to notice Wat Arun standing in its beauty, draped in white painting and symmetrical patterns. Once we arrived at the gate, we paid our entrance fees of about 50 baht per person. This place is packed with locals too doing their offerings and prayers so tourists are asked to be in their proper behavior and clothing etiquette.

My friend went directly to pray at one of the smaller temples and told me he might take some time and to venture out alone. Just when I thought someone could take some cool pictures of me at the temple. 😅 Since he was preparing for his major defense at that time, I let him be and off I went solo again.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan or simply Wat Arun when translated in Thai means "TEMPLE OF DAWN". It's called that way because when the first ray of sunlight hits the temple's surface, it reflects it's magnificence and beauty. This temple is situated in the central area of Bangkok, along the Chao Phraya River.

Wat Arun is one of Thailand's famous and beautiful landmark. At the center of this place is the Central Phrang or Spire that towers over 70m high and surrounded by four more smaller prangs.

The central Phrang represents Mount Meru or the center of the universe as per Buddhist history. It has a staircase for people to climb. Its short compared to some of the temples I visited but the steps are steep. I went to the top of the temple first before exploring the grounds.

At the top, you could see the other remaining smaller phrangs. Besides that, the Chao Phraya River, the Grand Palace, and other temples are visible from there. I wasn't able to take a lot of photos from here since the ledge was waist high with corner blocks and there were lots of people waiting for the sunset.

After taking a round at the top, I headed down. Mind you, the steps are narrow and steep, more likely you'd bump to someone so you got to hold on the sides for safety.

Seeing the phrang up close from the base, its just really majestic. And we have to appreciate how it was designed symmetrically. The details are superb as well. I drool about these types of architectural beauty. And the coloured glass porcelain used to designed its surface? Just wow.

So I took some close up photos of these floral mosaics made of the porcelains. Apparently, as per history,

The fabulously ornate floral mosaics made from broken, multihued Chinese porcelain, a common temple ornamentation in the early Ratanakosin period, when Chinese ships calling at the port of Bangkok discarded tonnes of old porcelain as ballast. Source

It was pretty smart and resourceful for them to use the discarded porcelains as designs to their temples and phrangs which made this place stand out the most.

The Wat Arun is simple yet majestic. It is definitely a place to visit when you get to visit the central area of Bangkok Thailand. Also, this place looks gorgeous in the evening to when its yellow lights are beaming over its phrangs.

Before we left the place,Ace made me pray with a monk for blessings and crawl under an altar (or something) 3 times. Forgot the reason behind the latter. 😁 But this was what made my visit here memorable.

We ended our day with a dinner at one of his favorite local eatery where I had pad thai for only 45 baht and tried Thailand's local beers at a convenient store near our place. Must-try!

Trivia: Thai beers are all animal themed.

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Thank you for dropping by. Sending you love and light.

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Clara Pilca

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