Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan

yumo
April 21, 2026
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Location and Context

Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan is located in the Thung Khru district of Bangkok, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is an upasaka Buddhist temple. Its construction was related to the period of King Rama III and is generally believed to have been initiated in 1828. The temple was initiated by Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse (Dis Bunnag), who donated a piece of his coffee plantation/land to build the temple; later, during the reign of King Rama III, it was elevated to a royal temple.

The history of Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan

The Phayulawongsawas Temple was built in the early 19th century and was a significant religious project initiated by the nobleman Somdet Chao Phraya Borommaha Prayurawong (Dis) during the reign of Rama III. In 1828, he donated his private land in Khudichin to the monks for them to study Buddhism and practice meditation. The project lasted for approximately eight years and was completed in 1836. In 1850, Rama III officially bestowed the name “Wat Prayurawongsawas” upon it, establishing its status as a royal temple.
The Ubosoth (main hall) had already stood since the temple’s inception. It was a sacred space where monks conducted ordination ceremonies and important religious rituals. Its architectural style reflects the royal aesthetics of Rama III’s era – a blend of Thai, Chinese, and Western elements.
The birth of the temple reflects the stability and prosperity of Siam society at that time – away from war and with thriving trade. Buddhism became an important link between society and politics. The king encouraged nobles to build temples on their private lands, intertwining religious beliefs, political power, and family inheritance.

The White Pagoda is one of the core buildings of the temple. It was also constructed in the early period of Ranaghesin and was funded by Dis Bunnak. Initially, it was a commemorative religious building dedicated to housing relics, symbolizing the existence of the Buddha and the continuation of Buddhism. During the major renovation in 2006, a large number of precious cultural relics that had been sealed for over a hundred years were discovered inside and beneath the pagoda. As a result, the temple authorities established a museum and opened it to the public. The walls inside the pagoda are adorned with hand-painted murals depicting the early layout of the temple and its surrounding environment, serving as a visual archive. The continuous offerings and worship ceremonies have merged history with the present.

The ancient iron fence inside the temple also has a fascinating story. Around 1825, British merchant Robert Hunter transported a batch of iron fences to Bangkok for sale. King Rama III refused to purchase them due to the high price. Dis Bunnak immediately exchanged them for sugar of equal weight and requested to use them to decorate the newly built temple, which was approved by the king. These iron fences, approximately three fists high and shaped like ancient weapons (swords, knives, axes), surrounded the main temple, monastery, lecture hall, and artificial hill, with a total length of over 300 meters. Local residents called this temple “Wat Rua Lek” (Iron Fence Temple). Today, these iron fences, which are over 190 years old, still stand firm. The temple authorities regularly repair and maintain them, and distinguish them with smaller red new fences, allowing both the past and the present to coexist side by side here.

Phraprayurawongse Memorial Hall

This place is hailed as “one of Bangkok’s finest temple museums,” and it is hidden in the annex building beneath the White Pagoda.

During the major renovation in 2006, a large number of precious cultural relics that had been sealed for a century were discovered inside the White Pagoda and on its base. In order to house these relics, the temple decided to establish a museum and open it to the public.

Aesthetic value

From the outside, the chedi is characterized by its striking white surface and simple, towering form. Its clean geometry and vertical emphasis create a sense of stability, purity, and transcendence, establishing it as a dominant focal point within the temple complex. The use of white reinforces an atmosphere of sacredness and visual unity.
Upon entering, the spatial experience shifts significantly. The interior is vertically oriented, guiding the viewer’s gaze upward and creating a bodily sense of elevation, which enhances the spiritual atmosphere. The arrangement of Buddha images follows a clear visual hierarchy: a seated Buddha at the center serves as the focal point, a reclining Buddha introduces a narrative dimension associated with nirvana, and a multi-headed Naga-protected Buddha adds symbolic and decorative complexity.
Additional elements such as flower garlands, incense, and golden offering trays introduce variation in color and texture, enriching the sensory experience and balancing the otherwise restrained white interior.

https://youtu.be/PuRNBUZW_wY

The Buddha images along the inner walls of the chedi belong to the Thai “Buddha for the Days of the Week” system. Each figure represents a different day and is shown in a distinct posture. For example, Monday is a standing Buddha symbolizing calmness, Tuesday is a reclining Buddha representing nirvana, Wednesday shows a walking Buddha with an alms bowl, Thursday depicts meditation, Friday shows the Buddha teaching, Saturday emphasizes contemplation, and Sunday features the Naga-protected Buddha symbolizing protection.

Visually, the variation in postures—standing, walking, sitting, and reclining—creates a rhythmic sequence that makes the space more dynamic. These forms also make abstract religious ideas easier to understand, turning them into clear and recognizable images. The Naga-protected Buddha, with its multi-headed serpent, adds decorative complexity and contrast, enhancing the overall visual balance of the space.

Viharn is a famous landmark within the Buddhist temple area

The Paptanak Temple adopts the traditional Thai architectural style, with the overall royal artistic style being consistent with the main hall. On both sides of the temple, there are wing-shaped corridors that surround a porch containing five rooms. The exterior is decorated with exquisite mother-of-pearl, and the back of the door features Chinese-style patterns of animals and plants. There are five windows on each side, decorated with the same glass mosaics as the doors. Four corners have pointed-top niches for different Buddha statues. There is a pair of stone columns in front of the entrance. The roof is a two-layer Thai-style roof, with the top decorated with naga (snake) patterns and covered with green, yellow and red glazed tiles. The gable is carved with lotus patterns and decorated with colored glass and enamel, making the whole magnificent and rich in religious symbolism.

The Phapthanak Buddha statue, which is enshrined in the main hall of Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan, is approximately 5.6 meters tall and is made of copper with gold plating. The entire statue has an elegant Sukhothai style.
There are two theories regarding its origin: One says it was moved from Sukhothai to Bangkok during the Rama I period (possibly originally placed in Wat Pho); the other says it was transported here by Chuditha Chao Phraya Dis in the 19th century via the Chao Phraya River. The original name of the statue was “Phapthanak Noi” (meaning “Little Buddha and Naga”), and it was later simply called “Phapthanak”.
It is said that during World War II, the temple was bombed, causing damage to the porch and the main hall walls, as well as the collapse of the roof and the destruction of most of the interior furnishings; however, this Buddha statue remained intact and was regarded as a “miracle”.

Ubosot is a masterpiece of royal artistic style

Ubosot is the spiritual core of the temple. As the main building of the temple, it has stood since its establishment. It is a sacred space where monks perform ordination ceremonies and important religious rituals.

During his reign, Rama III vigorously constructed temples, creating a “royal style” that combined Thai and Chinese elements. The main hall of Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan was built in 1828 and served as a place for monks to practice. The building has a Thai architectural structure with a surrounding corridor, the gables are decorated with stucco and colored glass, and the roof is a typical double-layered multi-eaved design. The overall appearance is simple yet exquisite.
Since then, the main hall has undergone several renovations: during Rama IV’s reign, columns were added to reinforce the structure, and during Rama V’s reign, the roof decorations were replaced and the Buddha statues were corrected. It was damaged by bombing during World War II and was restored after the war. In 1992, the most recent renovation was carried out by the abbot Phra Phutthaworayan (Mongkol Virojano).

The archway is elaborately decorated with gilded stucco flowers and glass mosaics. On each side, there are two pairs of double doors: the front door is painted with golden lacquer and rice ears patterns, while the back door features a red background with cascading flowers and a guardian angel image. On each side, there are five windows, and their decorations are in harmony with the archway; the window frames are also gilded with rice ear patterns, and the back window has a red background with cascading flowers and a guardian angel image, which is consistent with the door decorations.

The main Buddha statue was cast in 1828 and is a metal-gilded seated Buddha figure, approximately 1.63 meters tall. It has a dignified face and features of an “adult appearance”, with spiral hair and a flame halo on its head, and a sloping monk’s robe. The statue is seated on a five-layer lotus base, with two major disciples on either side, reflecting the style of the Ratanakosin period (especially during the Rama III period).
The statue was cast by Thai artisans and gilded by Japanese artisans, with exquisite craftsmanship. In 1992, it was bestowed the name “Papatatham Wichethada” by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The murals located in the main hall of Wat Prayurawongsawas Worawihan are one of the important representatives of early Thai art. These murals were created in the early 19th century during the establishment of the temple and were completed under the supervision of the abbot Kham. The main content depicts the life of the Buddha and parables.
Among them, the mural behind the main Buddha statue is particularly precious, presenting the scene of the Buddha returning to Kapilavastu, demonstrating superb painting skills. Although most of the murals were destroyed during World War II, only this part was preserved. It is still regarded as one of the earliest and most artistically valuable Buddha biographies murals in Thailand.

Mural Curiosities
“Patthamasambodhi” is a Buddhist literary work that chronicles the life of the Buddha. During the reign of King Ramathibodi III, Somdej Phra Mahasamanachao Krom Phra Paramānuchit Chinoros created “Patthamasambodhi Katha”, providing a systematic account of the Buddha’s journey from birth to nirvana.
The king was extremely impressed by this and ordered that related murals be painted in the main hall of Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkalaram (The Sleeping Buddha Temple). Starting around 1831, this mural style, which presents the life of the Buddha in the form of “historical figures”, gradually became popular and spread widely.

Around Khao Mo and the main hall, one can find numerous Chinese-style stone carvings, stone lions and ballast stones. These details reflect the frequent maritime trade between Thailand and China at that time. Although Khao Mo is a simulated Mount Sumeru based on the Buddhist cosmology, its landscaping borrows the geometric beauty and refinement of European gardens, reflecting the early exchange of Thai and Western art.
The artistic impact created by this dense display enables visitors to quickly grasp the evolution history of Thai Buddha statue art.

After the monks finished their alms rounds, those responsible for study went to study, and those in charge of work handled their affairs or went out to do business; if there were no special activities that day, they would recite scriptures and study Buddhist teachings. Monks maintained Vinaya by observing the precepts, restraining their speech and actions, and continuously learning and reciting Buddhist scriptures. The temple had a good relationship with the community. The temple would hold related activities and open its premises for residents to set up stalls and sell goods. The abbot also promoted the “Temple-School-Community Cooperation Project”, uniting six communities to provide local residents with opportunities to increase their income.