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Wat Suthat Thepwararam

Jenny Stannard
April 29, 2024
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“The center that has enabled the city of Rattanakosin to always maintain it’s sovereignty”

Luke Schmidt, academic.

History

The construction of Wat Suthat Thepwararam began during the reign of King Rama I the Great in 2350 BE. At first, it was called Mahasuthawat. The reign of King Rama I the Great ended before the construction had been completed, and subsequently the temple was called by various names; such as, Wat Phra To and Wat Sao Chingcha. The name Wat Phra To appeared due to the bronze image of Buddha Sri Sakyamuni or Phra To, which was moved to the temple from Sukhothai. The name Wat Sao Chingcha means ‘Giant Swing’ and was given because the swing used for special rituals can be seen in front of the temple. The construction was continued by King Rama II, who himself intricately carved the wooden doors of the wihan. During the reign of King Rama III, the construction was completed in 2390 BE. The modern name of the temple, Wat Suthat Thep Wararam, was given by Rama IV.

Wat Suthat Thep Wararam was built as part of a temple network to provide a foundation of spiritual and magical power to the newly founded city of Bangkok and the Rattanakosin dynasty at the time. The temple and monastery was considered as the ‘heart of the city’, with the central image of the temple being Phra Sri Sakayamuni. Inside the temple complex, there are other various images and artifacts that hold significance and contribute to boosting the powers of the temple further and cementing the foundation of the city of Rattanakosin.

Architecture

There are two main buildings at Wat Suthat Thepwararam; the Viharn and the Ubosoth (Ordination Hall). The viharn is intricately decorated with hand-painted murals depicting the previous lives of Buddha, making it a masterpiece of Thai artistry. The viharn enshrines a 13th-century bronze Buddha image brought from Sukhothai by King Rama I. The Buddha image originates from the Sukhothai Kingdom and goes back to the time of King Phaya Lithai, the fifth king of Sukhothai (around 1361 A.D.).

Indian and Chinese influence

At the viharn’s entrance there is the god Indra mounted on his three-headed elephant Erawan. The large gallery around the viharn, has 156 sitting Buddhas in meditation pose. Very few are gold-leafed, and there is not much variation in their appearance.

Around the viharn courtyard and temple complex there are many statues of Chinese origins. They include lions, warriors, celestial beings, and a Chinese castle. The set of stone carvings were originally located on the upper floor of the Prathaksin area and were later moved to the ground floor in front of the viharn. Apart from the statues, there are Chinese style stoneware towers surrounding the viharn. There are 28 towers in total, representing 28 former Buddhist monks.

The Ubosoth at Wat Suthat was built during the reign of Rama III. It is the largest Ubosoth in Bangkok. Sixty-eight columns support the structure, which is built in Ayutthaya style. The Western and Eastern facing gables and pediments of the Ubosoth show Phra Chan (Moon God) and Phra Athit (Sun God) respectively. As most Ubosoths the Ubosoth at Wat Suthat faces East, the direction the Buddha was facing when reaching enlightenment. Therefore also the Buddha Image inside face East (the rising sun). Mural paintings are on the inner walls of the Ubosoth. While painted during the Rattanakosin era, they also show European influence. The murals depict the life of the Buddha.

Giant Swing

The Giant Swing, with a height of 21.15 metres and painted red, is a landmark of Bangkok. Some postcards of Bangkok contain photos of it. The existence of a red giant swing in front of Suthat Temple in Bangkok is an indicator of the once strong influence of Brahmanism in Thailand. The giant swing was built only two years after the establishment of Bangkok as the new capital in 1782. The story of its origin began when a Brahman named Kratai was granted an audience with King Rama I (1782-1809) and asked the King’s permission to be the upholder of Brahmanism in Siam and to build a Brahmanic temple and a swing for conducting Brahmanic ceremonies.

The Swinging Ceremony was a Brahmanic ceremony annually performed in the past as a merit-making rite, to celebrate the new year, to propitiate Brahmanic gods and to ask for their blessings. The ceremony was part of a combination of two rites called triyamphawai and tripawai. The highlight of the ceremony was when three groups of four Brahmans each, called naliwan, rode on the giant swing, trying to catch, by mouth, a bag of silver coins attached to a supporting pole. However, in 1935 the ceremony was banned because of many fatal cases.

Phra Sri Sakayamuni

At the center of the Viharn the famous Buddha statue of Phra Sri Sakayamuni is located. According to many reading references, this 8 meters high Phra Sri Sakayamuni Buddha image was among one of the largest and oldest bronze cast Buddha images in such scale that you can find in Thailand today.

The Buddha is seated in a classic posture (leg crossed) that signifies Lord Buddha is in meditative attitude with the right hand resting on the right leg as well as with his palm of the left hand facing upwards. The origin was believed to be from Wat Mahathat, ancient city of Sukhothai at the North of Thailand. Thai Buddhist historians suggest the inscriptions at Wat Paa Mamuang relate that Phra Mahathammaraja Lithai, King of the Sukhothai dynasty 1347-1375 A.D. had requested Phra Sri Sakayamuni Buddha to be cast. It had commemorated its completion in 1361. In 1808 A.D., King Rama 1 requested that Phra Phirenthep journey to Sukhothai to retrieve this Buddha image by raft via the Chao Phraya river, enshrined it at Tha Chang coupled with a long celebration, and after which transported it by sledge to its present site at Wat Suthat.

Murals

The murals in Wat Suthat Thepwararam date from the first to second half of the 19th century and their purpose besides depicting the life of Buddha is to immerse the monastic buildings that they decorate, with the presence and power of Buddhism. The addition of murals in monasteries and temples helps in contributing to the power already found inside such sites, and in the case of Wat Suthat, the murals are purposefully chosen to further boost the power and significance of the temple as the spiritual heart of Rattanakosin. The act of creating murals also provides opportunities for merit making as it reflects the stability of the Buddhist community that supports the temple.

The murals in Wat Suthat Thepwararam are a visual commentary to Buddhavamsa, a minor anthology in the Tipitaka and are significant in its purpose to protect the city. The text shows the accounts of the Buddha’s 28 lives leading up to Gotama. The temple’s murals are unique as Buddhavamsa aren’t a popular mural style in Thailand, much less the explanatory inscriptions that are given at Wat Suthat Thepwararam. The interior of the vihara exhibits a mural map of every Buddha in his own timeline and land. There are four pillars in total, which tell the stories of Tribhumlokaya, Sanatana, with stone inscriptions at the foot of every pillar. The painting on the name or lintel of the main pillar is a picture of the history of Buddha, when the Lord Buddha commanded the gods on the level of the stars, reaching heaven. Inside the vihara, the wall mural and inscriptions are of the Buddhavamsa and truly exhibit the timelessness of Buddhism through the creation of a powerful and spiritual environment. In this elaborately decorated space, the wooden panel behind the door showcases a vivid painting depicting Brahmanic gods and gates, while the door and window panels exhibit scenes of setting up offerings in a graceful Chinese style. Above the doorways and windows, meticulously crafted decorative frames hold a total of 48 paintings portraying Himmapan animals, lending an air of mystique and enchantment. Meanwhile, the ceiling boasts an intricate gilded pattern accented by vermilion rays, imbuing the room with a sense of opulence and warmth.