Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn
Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn is named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna. It appears to all the tourist brochures and is located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River.
King Taksin chose this 17th century Wat for his royal temple and palace as it was the first place in Thonburi to catch the morning light. The Emerald Buddha was housed here after it was recaptured from Laos, before being moved to Wat Phra Kaeo in 1785. Even without the sacred statue. Wat Arun continued to be much revered, and the kings Rama II and Rama III reconstructed and enlarged it to its present height of 104 metres.
Today, Wat Arun has along, elongated, Khmer-style, Prang, the tower, and four minor towers symbolising Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens. The Prang are covered with pieces of porcelain, which Chinese boats coming to Bangkok used as ballast.
The main Prang, steep steps lead to the two terraces that form the base of the Prang. The different layers, or heavens are supported by Kinnaree, or half-humans, and frightening Yaksas, or demons. Pavilions on the first platform contain statues of the Buddha at the most important stages of his life, while on the second terrace four statues of the Hindi god Indra or Erawan, his thirty-three headed elephant, stand guard.
Most tourists come for the climb and don't have time for the rest of the Wat. The main Buddha image inside the Bot is believed to have been designed by King Rarna II himself, but the murals date from the reign of King Rama V.
Wat Arun is open daily from 08.30 am to 5.30 pm. To reach Wat Arun from Bangkok side, catch a cross-river ferry from Tha Tien at Thai Wang road.
