Wat Arun – The Temple of Dawn

Since I received this card today, I will move on, through the gulf of Thailand to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. The card shows an amazing sunset view of Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, from across the Chao Phraya River.

The full name of the temple is Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahawihan. Wat is the Thai word for a Buddhist temple. Wat Arun is named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. It may have been given that name because the first morning light reflects off the surface of the temple. But the most spectacular views can be seen in the evening from across the river, when the sun sets behind Wat Arun and the towers make a prominent silhouette against the sky.

The most outstanding feature of the temple is the central prang, which is a Khmer-style tower. It is approximately 80 meters high and symbolizes Mount Meru, the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. It is surrounded by four smaller prangs that hold statues of Phra Phai, the God of Wind. The structure is decorated with sea shells and pieces of porcelain, which had been used as ballast on ships sailing to Bangkok from China. It is possible to walk up the steep stairs of the main prang to two terraces that offer a lovely view of the river.