WAT SAKET

Description

Essentials about Wat Saket in brief

Wat Saket is one of the main attractions of Bangkok. However, this is not so much due to the fact that it is one of the oldest Buddhist temple complexes in the Thai capital, but rather because of the so-called “Golden Mountain”. The Golden Mountain is a 79-meter high, artificially raised hill located in the western part of the temple complex and crowned by a golden chedi. From the hill you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the center of Bangkok.

The entire temple complex represents a total work of art. It impresses not only with its buildings and the Golden Mountain, but also with a great variety of exotic plants and a very special atmosphere. Tourists meet monks and believers in Wat Sakat, who say a prayer and offer a sacrifice here. The ringing of the many prayer bells and the turning of the prayer wheels can be heard constantly.

The history of Wat Saket

The layout of Wat Saket goes back to the small, unimportant temple Wat Sakae from the time of the Ayutthaya Empire. The name means “Temple of the Sakae tree”. King Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) had the ubosot of Wat Sakae completely renovated. Since that time, the temple has been under royal patronage. The inauguration of the restored temple took place shortly after the inauguration of Wat Pho in 1801. Since then, it has been a Second Class Royal Temple and is called Wat Saket, which means “Temple of Purification of the Royal Head Hair”.

King Rama III, the grandson of Rama I, decided to build a huge chedi inside Wat Saket. However, Bangkok’s soft subsoil could not withstand the weight of the chedi, which is why the building collapsed. Over the next decades, the rubble of the collapsed chedi became overgrown and took the form of a natural hill.

Finally, under King Rama IV, the order was given to use the huge amount of building material to build an artificial mountain. This mountain was to be equipped with small caves, niches and pavilions in which Buddha statues were to be placed. Small chedis were to complete the picture. At the top of the mountain, a golden chedi was planned, to which two stairways would spiral up around the mountain.

However, it took until the reign of King Chulalongkorn for the Golden Mountain to be finally completed. The chedi on the summit stands on a square base, which reminds of the construction form of the monasteries in Tibet. The base was surrounded by a gallery to be used for walking meditation. Through two doors in the north and in the south one could enter the gallery via the stairways. Inside the base of the chedi is a narrow room, in the center of which is a small golden chedi with four small niches containing miniature statues of the Buddha. The small chedi contains parts of the relics of the Buddha, which were found in 1897 on the border with Nepal.

The view from Wat Saket

To enjoy the breathtaking view from the 79-meter-high Golden Mountain, you first have to climb 318 steps. If that sounds too sweaty, rest assured. During the strenuous ascent, some wonderfully shady places, benches and ponds invite you to linger. Once you reach the top, you can fortify yourself with cool drinks and snacks at a small kiosk.

Visiting Wat Saket

Finally, a practical note: the interior of the chedi is open to the public only in the middle of the twelfth lunar month (November). For several days, the stream of devotees does not subside, climbing the 318 steps to pay their respects to the relic. At the foot of the mountain and in the adjacent streets are set up small stalls, restaurants and theaters where the exuberant crowd can entertain themselves.