Editing Wat Pho

{{Short description|Buddhist temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name                  = Wat Pho
| native_name           = วัดโพธิ์
| image                 = พระพุทธไสยาสวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
| image_upright         = 
| alt                   = 
| caption               = The Reclining Buddha
| map_type              = Thailand Bangkok
| map_size              = 
| map_alt               = 
| map_caption           = Location in Bangkok
| location              = 
| coordinates           = {{coord|13|44|47|N|100|29|37|E|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Buddhism]]
| sect                  = [[Theravāda]]
| leadership            = [[:th:สมเด็จพระมหาธีราจารย์ (ปสฤทธ์ เขมงฺกโร)|Somdet Phra Mahathirachan]] (abbot)
| country               = Thailand
| functional_status     = 
| website               = [http://www.watpho.com/?lang=en www.watpho.com]
| founded_by            = Unknown<br />[[King Rama I]] (re-establishment)
| year_completed        = 16th century<br />1801 (re-establishment)<ref name="watpho">{{cite web |url=http://www.watpho.com/history_of_watpho.php?lang=en |title=History of Wat Pho |work=Wat Pho official site}}</ref>
}}

'''Wat Pho''' ({{langx|th|วัดโพธิ์}}, {{IPA|th|wát pʰōː|pron|Wat Pho (pronunciation short).ogg}}), also spelled '''Wat Po''', is a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] temple complex in the [[Phra Nakhon|Phra Nakhon District]], [[Bangkok]], [[Thailand]]. It is on [[Rattanakosin Island]], directly south of the [[Grand Palace, Bangkok|Grand Palace]].{{sfn|Liedtke|2011|page=56}} Known also as the '''Temple of the Reclining Buddha''', its official name is '''Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan'''<!-- Use officially designated spelling --><ref name="watpho" /> ({{langx|th|วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร}}; {{IPA|th|wát pʰráʔ tɕʰê:t.tù.pʰon wíʔ.mon.maŋ.kʰlaː.raːm râːt.tɕʰá.wɔː.ráʔ.má.hǎː.wíʔ.hǎːn|pron}}).<ref>{{cite web|title=พระนอนวัดโพธิ์ |trans-title=The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho |date=2012-12-27 |access-date=2013-01-13 |publisher=[[Royal Institute of Thailand]] |url=http://www.royin.go.th/th/knowledge/detail.php?ID=5269 |quote=วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม (อ่านว่า พฺระ-เชด-ตุ-พน-วิ-มน-มัง-คฺลา-ราม) ["วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม (pronounced: wat-phra-chet-tu-phon-wi-mon-mang-khla-ram)"]  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017010112/http://www.royin.go.th/th/knowledge/detail.php?ID=5269 |archive-date=2013-10-17 }}</ref> The more commonly known name, Wat Pho, is a contraction of its older name, ''Wat Photaram'' ({{Langx|th|วัดโพธาราม}}; {{RTGS|''Wat Photharam''}}).{{sfn|Byrne Bracken|2010|page=82}}

The temple is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classed as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2508_buddhist_temples/buddhist_temples.html|date=25 Jul 2008|journal=Thaiways Magazine|volume=25|issue=8|title=About the Royal Buddhist Temples|access-date=2019-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071920/http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/2508_buddhist_temples/buddhist_temples.html|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref>{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=1–2}} It is associated with King [[Rama I]] who rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site. It became his main temple and is where some of his ashes are enshrined.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaibuddhist.com/the-ashes-of-the-thai-kings/ |title=The Ashes of the Thai Kings |work=Buddhism in Thailand }}</ref> The temple was later expanded and extensively renovated by [[Rama III]]. The temple complex houses the largest collection of [[Buddha image]]s in Thailand, including a 46 m long huge [[reclining Buddha]]. The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the  illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognised by [[UNESCO]] in its [[Memory of the World Programme]]. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional [[Thai massage]] which is still taught and practiced at the temple.<ref name="Frommers"/>

== History ==
[[File:BOB 3205-3.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakan]]

Wat Pho is one of Bangkok's oldest temples. It existed before Bangkok was established as the capital by King [[Rama I]]. It was originally named Wat Photaram or Podharam, from which the name Wat Pho is derived.{{sfn|Byrne Bracken|2010|page=82}}{{sfn|Gray|Ridout|2012|page=90}} The name refers to the monastery of the [[Bodhi tree]] in [[Bodh Gaya]], [[India]] where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.{{sfn|Matics|1979|page=1}}{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=116}} The date of the construction of the old temple and its founder are not known; it was built sometime in the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya period]], but said to have been built or expanded during the reign of [[King Phetracha]] (1688–1703).{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=1–2}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unescobkk.org/communication-and-information/resources/ci-resources/ci-news/news-details/article/thailand-celebrates-wat-pho-as-unesco-memory-of-the-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419132732/http://www.unescobkk.org/communication-and-information/resources/ci-resources/ci-news/news-details/article/thailand-celebrates-wat-pho-as-unesco-memory-of-the-world/  |archive-date=19 April 2012 |title=Thailand celebrates Wat Pho as UNESCO Memory of the World |date=5 January 2012 |work=UNESCO }}</ref>  The southern section of Wat Pho used to be occupied by part of a French [[Bastion fort|Star fort]] that was demolished by King Phetracha after the 1688 [[Siege of Bangkok]].<ref>Jean Vollant des Verquains ''History of the revolution in Siam in the year 1688'', in Smithies 2002, p.95-96</ref>

After the fall of [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]] in 1767 to the Burmese, [[King Taksin]] moved the capital to [[Thonburi Kingdom|Thonburi]] where he located [[Phra Racha Wang Derm|his palace]] beside [[Wat Arun]] on the opposite side of the [[Chao Phraya River]] from Wat Pho. The proximity of Wat Pho to this royal palace elevated it to the status of a ''wat luang'' ('royal monastery'), to be administered by the royal monastic committee up to the present day.{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=1–2}}

In 1782, King Rama I moved the capital from [[Thonburi]] across the river to Bangkok and built the [[Grand Palace]] adjacent to Wat Pho. In 1788, he ordered the construction and renovation at the old temple site of Wat Pho, which had by then become dilapidated.<ref name="watpho" /> The site, which was marshy and uneven, was drained and filled in before construction began. During its construction, Rama I also initiated a project to remove Buddha images from abandoned temples in [[Ayutthaya Historical Park|Ayutthaya]], [[Sukhothai Historical Park|Sukhothai]], and various other sites in Thailand, and many of these retrieved Buddha images were then kept at Wat Pho.<ref name=renown>{{cite web |url=https://www.renown-travel.com/temples/wat-pho.html |title=Wat Pho: The temple of the Reclining Buddha |work=Renown Travel}}</ref> These include the remnants of an enormous Buddha image from [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayuthaya]]'s Wat Phra Si Sanphet destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, and these were incorporated into a ''[[Stupa|chedi]]'' in the complex.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Beek |first1=Steve Van |first2=Luca|last2=Invernizzi|title= The Arts of Thailand |year=2001|isbn=978-962-593-262-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DgIyCN5k5JwC|page=26}}</ref>  The rebuilding took over seven years to complete. In 1801, twelve years after work began, the new temple complex was renamed ''Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklavas'' in reference to the [[vihara]] of [[Jetavana]], and it became the main temple for Rama I.{{sfn|Matics|1979|p=3}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watpho.com/stone_inscription.php?lang=en |title=Stone Inscription: Documentary Heritage |work=Wat Pho official site |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080304/http://www.watpho.com/stone_inscription.php?lang=en |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

[[File:Arrival of the King of Siam at the Temple of Sleeping Idol Wellcome L0020127.jpg|thumb|Arrival of King [[Mongkut]] at Wat Pho, 13 October 1865]]
The complex underwent significant changes over the next two centuries, particularly during the reign of [[Rama III]] (1824-1851). In 1832, King Rama III began renovating and enlarging the temple complex, a process that took 16 years and seven months to complete. The ground of the temple complex was expanded to {{convert|56|rai|ha acre|lk=in|abbr=unit}}, and most of the structures now present in Wat Pho were either built or rebuilt during this period, including the Chapel of the Reclining Buddha. He also turned the temple complex into a public center of learning by decorating the walls of the buildings with diagrams and inscriptions on various subjects.{{sfn|Gray|Ridout|2012|page=90}} The inscriptions were written by about 50 people from the court of Rama III and learned monks led by [[Supreme Patriarch of Thailand|Supreme Patriarch]] Prince [[Paramanuchitchinorot]] (1790-1853), the abbot of Wat Pho, a Buddhist scholar, historian and poet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Memory of the World Register: The Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho |url=https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/thailand_epigraphic.pdf |volume=Ref N° 2010-16}}</ref> On 21 February 2008, these marble illustrations and inscriptions was registered in the [[Memory of the World Programme]] launched by [[UNESCO]] to promote, preserve and propagate the wisdom of the world heritage.<ref name="thaipr">{{cite web |url=http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_inside.php?id=3309 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413145004/http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_inside.php?id=3309 |archive-date=13 April 2008 |title=Global Recognition of Wat Pho in Thailand as a "Memory of the World" |work=Thai Government Public Relations Department}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jarukwatpho.com/index.php |title=Introduction |work=Jarukwatpho.com }}</ref> Wat Pho is regarded as Thailand's first university and a center for traditional Thai massage. It served as a medical teaching center in the mid-19th century before the advent of modern medicine, and the temple remains a center for traditional medicine today where a private school for Thai medicine founded in 1957 still operates.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}<ref name="sights2"/>

The name of the complex was changed again to Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm during the reign of [[Mongkut|King Rama IV]].<ref name="watpho"/>  Apart from the construction of a fourth great chedi and minor modifications by Rama IV, there had been no significant changes to Wat Pho since. Repair work, however, is a continuing process, often funded by devotees of the temple. The temple was restored again in 1982 before the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration.<ref name="delights1">{{cite web |url=http://www.thailand-delights.com/page1274.html |title=Wat Pho, Sanam Chai Road, Bangkok, Thailand |work=Thailand Delights}}</ref>

== The temple complex ==
[[File:พระมณฑป วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลาราม Wat Pho (2).jpg|thumb|left|Phra Mondop of Wat Pho. Flanking its entrances are statues of Yak Wat Pho]]

Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest [[Thai temple art and architecture|wat]]s in Bangkok covering an area of 50 ''rai'' or 80,000 square metres.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Emmons|first=Ron |title=Top 10 Bangkok|year=2008|publisher=DK |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7566-8850-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ebnIm-cEt5sC&q=wat+arun&pg=PA26|page=58}}</ref> It is home to more than one thousand [[Buddhist art#Thailand|Buddha image]]s, as well as one of the largest single Buddha images at {{convert|46|m|ft|0}} in length.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Norwich|first=John Julius|title=Great architecture of the world |year=2001|publisher=Da Capo Press Inc.|isbn=0-306-81042-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oo2BjGYRIT0C&pg=PA266|page=266}}</ref> The Wat Pho complex consists of two walled compounds bisected by Chetuphon Road running in the east–west direction. The larger northern walled compound, the ''[[Thai temple art and architecture#Phutthawat|phutthawat]]'', is open to visitors and contains the finest buildings dedicated to the Buddha, including the ''[[Ubosot|bot]]'' with its four directional ''[[Vihara|viharn]]'', and the temple housing the reclining Buddha.{{sfn|Matics|1979|p=3}}  The southern compound, the ''[[Thai temple art and architecture#Sangkhawat|sankhawat]]'', contains the residential quarters of the monks and a school. The perimeter wall of the main temple complex has sixteen gates, two of which serve as entrances for the public (one on Chetuphon Road, the other near the northwest corner).{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=117}}

[[File:Bangkok Wat Pho P1100587.JPG|thumb|upright|Chinese guardian figure beside a gate, Wat Pho]]

The temple grounds contain four great ''chedis'', 91 small ''[[Stupa|chedi]]s'', two [[Belfry (architecture)|belfries]], a ''bot'' (central shrine), a number of ''[[vihara]]s'' (halls) and various buildings such as pavilions, as well as gardens and a small temple museum. Architecturally the ''chedis'' and buildings in the complex are different in style and sizes.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}  A number of large Chinese statues, some of which depict Europeans, are also found in the complex guarding the gates of the perimeter walls as well as other gates in the compound. These stone statues were originally imported as [[ballast]] on ships trading with China.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}

Wat Pho was also intended to serve as a place of education for the general public. To this end a pictorial encyclopedia was engraved on granite slabs covering eight subject areas: history, medicine, health, custom, literature, proverbs, lexicography, and the Buddhist religion.<ref name="sights2">{{cite book |title=The Sights of Rattanakosin |author=Committee for the Rattanakosin Bicentennial Celebration |year= 1982 |page=145 }}</ref>{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=119–120}}  These plaques, inscribed with texts and illustrations on medicine, figures with pressure points for Thai traditional massage, and other subjects, are placed around the temple,{{sfn|Gray|Ridout|2012|page=91}} for example, within the Sala Rai or satellite open pavilions. Dotted around the complex are 24 small rock gardens (''[[khao mor]]'') illustrating rock formations of Thailand, and one, called the Contorting Hermit Hill, contains some statues showing methods of massage and yoga positions.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=119–120}} There are also drawings of constellations on the wall of the library, inscriptions on local administration, as well as paintings of folk tales and animal husbandry.<ref name="sights2"/>

===Phra Ubosot===
[[File:พระอุโบสถวัดพระเชตุพน2.jpg|left|thumb|Phra Ubosot]]
Phra [[Ubosot]] (Phra Uposatha) or ''bot''  is the ordination hall, the main hall used for performing Buddhist rituals, and the most sacred building of the complex. It was constructed by King Rama I in the Ayuthaya-style, and later enlarged and reconstructed in the [[Rattanakosin Kingdom|Rattanakosin]]-style by Rama III. The ''bot'' was dedicated in 1791, before the rebuilding of Wat Pho was completed.{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=4–6}} This building is raised on a marble platform, its teak doors are inset with mother-of-pearl illustrating stories from the ''[[Ramayana]]''.{{sfn|Gray|Ridout|2012|page=91}} The ''ubosot'' lies in the center of courtyard enclosed by a double cloister (Phra Rabiang).[[File:ภายในพระอุโบสถวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg|thumb|Interior of the ubosot of Wat Pho]]Inside the ''ubosot'' is a gold and crystal three-tiered pedestal topped with a gilded Buddha made of a gold-copper alloy, and over the statue is a [[Royal Nine-Tiered Umbrella|nine-tiered umbrella]] representing the authority of Thailand.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}  The Buddha image, known as Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn and thought to be from the Ayutthaya period, was moved here by Rama I from ''Wat Sala Si Na'' (now called ''[[Wat Khuha Sawan (Bangkok)|Wat Khuhasawan]]'') in Thonburi.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watpho.com/buddha.php |title=Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn |work=Wat Pho }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://u-toseen.com/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap2.htm |title= Phra Uposatha (main chapel) |work= SunThai |access-date= 2017-10-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023358/http://u-toseen.com/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap2.htm |archive-date= 2017-11-07  }}</ref> Rama IV later placed some ashes of Rama I under the pedestal of the Buddha image so that the public may pay homage to both Rama I and the Buddha at the same time. There are also ten images of Buddha's disciples in the hall: [[Moggalana]] is to the left of Buddha and [[Sariputta]] to the right, with eight [[Arahant]]s below.<ref name="watpho" /><ref name="sights1" />

The exterior balustrade surrounding the main hall has around 150 depictions in stone of the epic, ''[[Ramakien]]'', the ultimate message of which is transcendence from secular to spiritual dimensions.{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=117}} The stone panels were recovered from a temple in Ayuthaya. The ''ubosot'' is enclosed by a low wall called ''kamphaeng kaew'',<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap3.htm |title=Kampaengkaew, Wat Chetuphon |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703051610/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap3.htm |archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> which is punctuated by gateways guarded by mythological lions, as well as eight structures that house ''[[bai sema]]'', stone markers that delineate the sacred space of the ''bot''.

[[File:Wat Pho, Bangkok, Tailandia, 2013-08-22, DD 36.jpg|thumb|left|Phra Prang and part of the Phra Rabiang cloister]]

*'''Phra Rabiang''' - This double cloister contains around 400 images of Buddha from northern Thailand selected out of the 1,200 originally brought by King Rama I.{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=117}} Of these Buddha images, 150 are on the inner side of the double cloister, another 244 images are on the outer side.<ref name="sights1">{{cite book |title=The Sights of Rattanakosin |author=Committee for the Rattanakosin Bicentennial Celebration |year= 1982 |page=146 }}</ref> These Buddha figures, some standing and some seated, are evenly mounted on matching gilded pedestals. These images are from different periods in Siamese history, such as the [[Lan Na|Chiangsaen]], Sukhothai, [[U-Thong]], and Ayutthaya eras, but they were renovated by Rama I and covered with stucco and gold leaves to make them look similar.<ref name="sights1"/> 
 
[[File:Wat Pho, Bangkok, Tailandia, 2013-08-22, DD 22.jpg|thumb|Buddha images in the cloister. The cloister is intersected with four viharas or viharns, one on each direction.]]

The Phra Rabiang is intersected by four viharns. The viharn in the east contains an eight metre tall standing Buddha, the Buddha Lokanatha ("Saviour of the World"), originally from Ayutthaya. In its antechamber is Buddha [[Maravijaya attitude|Maravichai]] (referencing victory over [[Mara (demon)|Mara]]), sitting under a bodhi tree, originally from [[Sawankhalok District|Sawankhalok]] of the late-Sukhothai period. The one on the west has a seated Buddha sheltered by a [[Nāga|naga]], the Buddha Chinnasri ("the victorious lion Buddha"), while the Buddha on the south, the Buddha Chinnaraja (named after [[Phra Phuttha Chinnarat]] of [[Phitsanulok province|Phitsanulok]]), has five disciples seated in front listening to his first sermon. Both Buddhas in the south and west viharns were brought from Sukhothai by Rama I. The Buddha in the north viharn, called Buddha Palilai (a reference to the elephant Palilaika), was cast in the reign of Rama I.<ref name="sights1"/>{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=8–13}} The viharn on the west contains a small museum.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap13.htm |title=Temple Museum Exhibiting Artifacts from Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704082111/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap13.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2015 }}</ref>

*'''Phra Prang''' - There are four towers, or ''phra'' ''[[Prang (architecture)|prang]]'', at each corner of the courtyard around the ''bot''. Each of the towers is tiled with marble and contains four Khmer-style statues which are the guardian divinities of the Four Cardinal Points.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap4.htm |title=Phra Maha Sthupa or Phra Prang, Wat Phra Chetuphon |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704075949/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap4.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2015 }}</ref>

===Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn===
[[File:พระมหาเจดีย์ 4 รัชกาล.jpg|left|thumb|Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn]]
This is a group of four large stupas, each 42 metres high. These four ''chedis'' are dedicated to the first four [[Chakri Dynasty|Chakri]] kings.<ref name="Frommers"/>  The first, in green mosaic tiles, was constructed by Rama I to house the remnants of a great bronze standing Buddha from Ayutthaya called Phra Phuttha Sanphet. The Burmese were said to have scorched the Buddha image to remove near 2 tons of its gold covering, later the image fragmented when the ''vihan'' it was in collapsed upon it, and Rama I who brought it Wat Pho decided to encase the image in the chedi.{{sfn|Matics|1979|page=8}} 

Two more chedis were built by Rama III, one in white tiles to hold the ashes of his father [[Rama II of Siam|Rama II]], another in yellow for himself. A fourth in blue was built by [[Mongkut|Rama IV]] who then enclosed the four ''chedis'' leaving no space for more to be built.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thailand-delights.com/page1277.html |title=Wat Pho Temple, Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn, Bangkok |work=Thailand Delights }}</ref>

[[File:Vihara of the Reclining Buddha 2015.jpg|thumb|The Viharn containing the reclining Buddha. The tree on the right behind a pavilion is the Bodhi tree.]]

===Viharn Phranorn===
[[File:พระวิหารพระพุทธไสยาส.jpg|left|thumb|Viharn Phranorn]]
The ''[[vihara|viharn]]'' or ''wihan'' contains the reclining Buddha and was constructed in the reign of Rama III emulating the Ayutthaya style. The interior is decorated with panels of mural.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watpho.com/historical.php |title=Phra Vihara of the Reclining Buddha |work=Wat Pho official site}}</ref>

Adjacent to this building is a small raised garden (Missakawan Park) with a Chinese-style pavilion; the centre piece of the garden is a [[bodhi tree]] which was propagated from the [[Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi]] tree in Sri Lanka that is believed to have originally came from a tree in India where Buddha sat while awaiting [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap17.htm |title=Missakawan Park, Wat Phra Chetuphon |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705062803/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap17.htm |archive-date=July 5, 2015 }}</ref>

===Phra Mondop===
[[File:หอไตรวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg|thumb|Phra Mondop]]
Phra [[Mondop]] or the ''[[ho trai]]'' is the Scripture Hall containing a small library of Buddhist scriptures. The building is not generally open to the public as the scriptures, which are inscribed on palm leaves, need to be kept in a controlled environment for preservation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bangkokforvisitors.com/ratanakosin/wat-po/ |title= Wat Pho |work=Bangkok for Visitors}}</ref> The library was built by King Rama III. Guarding its entrance are figures called ''Yak Wat Pho'' ('Wat Pho's Giants') placed in niches beside the gates.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.watpho.com/historical.php?id=12&lang=en |title=Legend of Yak Wat Pho |work=Wat Pho}}</ref> Around Phra Mondop are three pavilions with mural paintings of the beginning of Ramayana.

===Other structures===
[[File:เจดีย์รายวัดพระเชตุพน2.jpg|left|thumb|Phra Chedi Rai which contains the ashes of members of the royal family]]
*'''Phra Chedi Rai''' - Outside the Phra Rabiang cloisters are dotted many smaller ''chedis'', called ''Phra Chedi Rai''. Seventy-one of these small ''chedis'' were built by Rama III, each five metres in height. There are also four groups of five chedis that shared a single base built by Rama I, one on each corner outside the cloister.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap7.htm |title=Single-Based Chedi, Wat Phra Chetuphon or Wat Pho |encyclopedia = Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703055430/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap7.htm |archive-date=July 3, 2015 }}</ref>  The 71 ''chedis'' of smaller size contain the ashes of the royal family, and 20 slightly larger ones clustered in groups of five contain the relics of Buddha.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}
[[File:ศาลาการเปรียญวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg|thumb|Sala Karn Parien]]
*'''Sala Karn Parien''' - Sala Karn Parien is the preaching hall, a simple pavilion used for religious instruction for monks and laymen, and also serves as a meditation hall.{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=4, 6}} This hall is next to the Phra Mondop at the southwest corner of the compound, and is thought to date from the Ayutthaya period.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap16.htm |title=Sala Karn Parien |work=Encycopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704075505/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap16.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2015 }}</ref> The building contains the original Buddha image from the ''bot'', which was moved here to make way for the Buddha image currently in the ''bot''. The Buddha image, called Phra Phuttha Satsada, is in the late Ayutthaya style.{{sfn|Matics|1979|pp=4–6}} Next to it is a garden called The Crocodile Pond.
*'''Sala Rai''' - There are 16 satellite pavilions, most of them placed around the edge of the compound, and murals depicting the life of Buddha may be found in some of these. Two of these are the medical pavilions between Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakarn and the main chapel. The north medicine pavilion contains Thai traditional massage inscriptions with 32 drawings of massage positions on the walls while the one to the south has a collection of inscriptions on guardian angel that protects the newborn.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |title=Sala Rai |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Thai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703042333/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |archive-date=July 3, 2015 }}</ref>
*'''Phra Viharn Kod''' - This is the gallery which consists of four viharas, one on each corner outside the Phra Rabiang.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap6.htm |title=Phra Viharn Kod or The Gallery |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150704081731/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap6.htm |archive-date= July 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |title=Sala Rai |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703042333/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |archive-date=July 3, 2015 }}</ref>
*'''Tamnak Wasukri''' - Also called the poet's house, this is the former residence of Prince Patriarch [[Paramanuchitchinorot]], a scholar, historian and poet. The house was a gift from his nephew Rama III.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://u-toseen.com/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap23.htm |title=Wasukri Residence, Wat Phra Chetuphon |access-date=2016-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330041827/http://u-toseen.com/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap23.htm |archive-date=2016-03-30  }}</ref> This building is in the living quarters of the monks in the southern compound and is open once a year on his birthday.

==Reclining Buddha==
{{multiple image
| align             = left
| direction         = vertical
| header            = 
| image1            = วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร 33.jpg
| width1            = 200
| caption1          = Reclining Buddha of Wat Pho
| image2            = สัญลักษณ์มงคล 108 ประการบนพระบาทพระนอนวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
| width2            = 200
| caption2          = Feet with auspicious symbols of Buddha
}}
[[File:Wat Pho, Bangkok, Tailandia, 2013-08-22, DD 10.jpg|thumb|upright|108 bronze bowls]]

The wat and the reclining Buddha (''Phra Buddhasaiyas'', {{langx|th|พระพุทธไสยาสน์}}) were built by Rama III in 1832.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeout.com/bangkok/attractions/venue/1%3A25285/wat-pho |title=Wat Pho |work=Time Out}}</ref> The image of the [[reclining Buddha]] represents the entry of Buddha into [[Nirvana]] and the end of all reincarnations.{{sfn|Liedtke|2011|page=56}}  The posture of the image is referred to as ''sihasaiyas'', the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion. The figure is 15 m high and 46 m long, and it is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.<ref name= "watpho"/>

The figure has a brick core, which was modelled and shaped with plaster, then gilded.<ref name="lonely planet">{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand/bangkok/sights/religious/wat-pho |title=Wat Pho |work=Lonely Planet }}</ref> The right arm of the Buddha supports the head with tight curls, which rests on two box-pillows encrusted with glass mosaics.{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=116–118}}
The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 m high and 4.5 m long, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are each divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified, such as flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers, and altar accessories.{{sfn|O'Neil|2008|page=116}}  At the center of each foot is a circle representing a ''[[chakra]]'' or 'energy point'. There are 108 bronze bowls in the corridor representing the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. Visitors may drop coins in these bowls as it is believed to bring good fortune, and it also helps the monks to maintain the ''wat''.<ref name="Frommers"/>

Although the reclining Buddha is not a pilgrimage destination, it remains an object of popular piety.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}} An annual celebration for the reclining Buddha is held around the time of the Siamese [[Songkran (Thailand)|Songkran]] or New Year in April, which also helps raise funds for the upkeep of Wat Pho.{{sfn|Matics|1979|p=51}}

==Thai massage==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = 
| image1            = Bangkok 2014 PD 078.jpg
| width1            = 220
| caption1          = Medicine pavilion
| image2            = จารึกวัดโพธิ์ (2).jpg
| width2            = 220
| caption2          = Illustrations in the medicine pavilion
}}

The temple is considered the first public university of Thailand, teaching students in the fields of religion, science, and literature through murals and sculptures.<ref name="Frommers">{{Cite book |last=Emmons|first=Ron |title=Frommer's Thailand|year=2010|publisher=Wiley Publishing Inc.|location=NJ |isbn=978-0-470-53766-4|pages=126–127}}</ref>  A school for traditional medicine and massage was established at the temple in 1955, and now offers four courses in Thai medicine: Thai pharmacy, Thai medical practice, Thai midwifery, and [[Thai massage]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watpho.com/thai_traditional_medical_school.php |title=Thai Traditional Medical School |work=Wat Pho }}</ref> This, the Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School, is the first school of Thai medicine approved by the Thai Ministry of Education, and one of the earliest massage schools. It remains the national headquarters and the center of education of traditional Thai medicine and massage to this day. Courses on Thai massage are held in Wat Pho, and these may last a few weeks to a year.{{sfn|Brockman|2011||pages=302–304}}  Two pavilions at the eastern edge of the Wat Pho compound are used as classrooms for practising Thai traditional massage and herbal massage, and visitors can receive massage treatment here for a fee.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |title=Sala Rai |encyclopedia=Encyclopediathai.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703042333/http://www.encyclopediathai.org/sunthai/center/bkk/wpomap10.htm |archive-date=July 3, 2015  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaizer.com/health/getting-a-thai-massage-at-wat-pho-bangkok/ |title=Getting a Thai Massage at Wat Pho, Bangkok|date=July 9, 2013 |author= Roy Cavanagh |work=Thaizer }}</ref> The Thai massage or Nuad Thai taught at Wat Pho has been included in [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|UNESCO's list]] of [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]], and Wat Pho has trained more than 200,000 massage therapists who practice in 145 countries.<ref name="SCMP-20191210" />

There are many medical inscriptions and illustrations placed in various buildings around the temple complex, some of which serve as instructions for Thai massage therapists, particularly those in the north medical pavilion.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KZgX1ZHXkq0C&pg=PA15 |title=Top 10 Bangkok|author= Ron Emmons |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |year= 2012 |page=15 |isbn= 978-1-4053-7054-7 }}</ref>  They were inscribed by scholars during the reign of [[King Rama III]].<ref name="SCMP-20191210">{{cite news |title=No pain, no fame: Thai massage could get Unesco status |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3041341/no-pain-no-fame-thai-massage-could-get-unesco-status |access-date=10 December 2019 |work=South China Morning Post |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=10 December 2019}}</ref> Among these are 60 inscribed plaques, 30 each for the front and back of human body, showing pressure points used in traditional Thai massage. These therapeutic points and energy pathways, known as ''sen'', with explanations given on the walls next to the plaques.<ref>[[#Apfelbaum|Apfelbaum]] 2004, p. 30</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:พระอุโบสถวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
File:WatPho.jpg
File:พระพุทธไสยาสวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
File:พระบาทพระพุทธไสยาสน์วัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
File:พระพักตร์พระพุทธไสยาสน์วัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
File:Murals At WatPho.jpg
File:Buddha statues At WatPho.jpg
File:เจดีย์รายวัดพระเชตุพน.jpg
File:พระมหาเจดีย์ศรีสรรเพชดาญาณ.jpg
File:พระมหาเจดีย์ดิลกธรรมกรกนิธาน.jpg
File:พระมหาเจดีย์มุนีบัตบริขาร.jpg
File:พระมหาเจดีย์ทรงพระศรีสุริโยทัย1.jpg
</gallery>

==Site plan==
The ''sangkhawat'' (monks' quarters) of Wat Pho located to the south is not shown in this plan.[[File:Watphomap.svg|thumb|400px|left|Plan of the northern enclosure of Wat Pho]]
{{columns-list|
#Phra Ubosot
#Kamphaeng kaew
#East Viharn
#South Viharn
#West Viharn
#North Viharn
#Phra Prang
#5 Chedis with a single base
#Phra Chedi Rai
#Phra Rabiang
#Phra Viharn Kod
#Khao Mor (rock gardens)
#Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn
#Phra Mondop
#Pavilions
#Viharn Phranorn (Chapel of the Reclining Buddha)
#Sala Karn Parien
#Missakawan Park
#The Crocodile Pond
#Belfry
#Gates
#Massage service
#Sala Rai
}}
{{Clear}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Thailand|Religion|Architecture}}
*[[List of Buddhist temples in Thailand]]
*[[Thai temple art and architecture]]
*[[Wat Phra Kaew]]
*[[Wat Arun]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite book |last=Apfelbaum|first=Ananda |title=Thai massage: sacred bodywork |year=2004|publisher=Penguin Group (USA) Inc. |location=New York |isbn=1-58333-168-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9ayN8CX0oYC&q=wat+pho&pg=PA29|ref=Apfelbaum}}
*{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JkSk4euA-TEC |last=Brockman |first=Norbert C. |title= Encyclopedia of Sacred Places |year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO, LLC |location=California |isbn=978-1-59884-655-3}}
*{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fc2IAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 |title=A Walking Tour Bangkok: Sketches of the city's architectural treasures|first= Gregory |last=Byrne Bracken|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Corp |date=2010 |isbn=978-981-4302-22-7 }}
*{{cite book |title=The Sights of Rattanakosin |author=Committee for the Rattanakosin Bicentennial Celebration |year= 1982 |pages=144–155 |isbn= 978-974-7919-61-5}}
*{{cite book |title=The Rough Guide to Thailand|first1=Paul |last1=Gray |first2=Lucy |last2=Ridout |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cozDPTpRdM0C&pg=PA90 |publisher=Rough Guide |year= 2012|isbn=978-1-4053-9010-1 }}
*{{Cite book |last=Liedtke |first=Marcel |title=Thailand- The East |year=2011|publisher=Books on Demand GmbH |location=Norderstedt |isbn=978-3-8423-7029-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KlspiSV3RP0C&pg=PA56|edition=English }}
*{{Cite book |last=O'Neil|first=Maryvelma Smith|title=Bangkok: a cultural history|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-534251-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4t1oAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA116}}
*{{cite book |title=A History of Wat Phra Chetuphon and Its Buddha Images|first=Kathleen I. |last=Matics |publisher=The Siam Society|year= 1979 |asin=B002VSBFQ2 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Wat Pho}}
{{wikisourcelang|1=th|2=นิทานโบราณคดี/นิทานที่ ๕|3=History of Wat Pho's yoga statues by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab}}
* [http://www.watpho.com/index.php?lang=en Official site in English]
* [http://thailand.tv/watch/wat-pho Video guide to Wat Pho]
* {{OSM|w|196820698}}

{{First-Class Royal Monasteries}}
{{Visitor attractions in Bangkok}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Buddhist temples in Bangkok|Pho]]
[[Category:Phra Nakhon district]]
[[Category:1780s in Siam]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1801]]
[[Category:Thai Theravada Buddhist temples and monasteries]]
[[Category:Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok]]