The Gothic Temple (Wat Niwet Thamprawat)
Image Source: www.tourismthailand.org
If you travel 85km north of Bangkok, you’ll reach the ancient capital city called Ayutthaya. This province was once the world’s largest city with approximately 1 million inhabitants! It was once an ideal location for merchant traders because of its strategic location.
There, travelers from Europe, Japan, China, Arab and other nations frequently traveled through the city in the 1700s… this was until the Burmese invaded and burnt down most of the city. However, there are currently many beautiful sites which are protected due to UNESCO’s efforts.
On the outskirts of Ayutthaya is an area called Bang Pa-In. This is 60km from Bangkok and the area is famous for the Summer Palace (or Bang Pa-In Palace). The area looks like a royal garden in Versailles (France) filled with 18th century European-style buildings! This was built by 3 Thai kings, reigning at different periods of time… and the last to have done work on the area was King Rama V.
From Bang Pa-In Palace, visitors can sit on a cable car that will take them across the river. It is a little hidden as it’s behind the Bang Pa-In parking lot, but it seats about 6-8 people and it’s meant to be a lot of shaky fun! On the other side of the river, along the Chao Praya riverbank, is a Buddhist Gothic-style cathedral called Wat Niwet Thamprawat! It was in 1878 that King Rama V built a Buddhist temple resembling a Christian church. He chose to build an ubosot (prayer hall in Thai) in a style that was atypical for Thais. The temple has stained glass windows, spiky eaves, elaborate paneled wooden ceilings and walls etc. This is why it has been dubbed “The Gothic Temple”.
Inside the main prayer hall they have a Buddha statue, and there is also a stained glass image of King Rama V.
On the right of the main prayer hall is Ho Phra Khanthararat. This is a shrine with a statue of Gandhara Buddha in the posture of requesting rain. The posture is that of his right hand raised at chest level with his palm curved and turned outward, while the left hand is at waist level with the palm turned upward. Below the statue of Gandhara Buddha is Phra Phirun, the Hindu god of water and rain. On either side of Phra Phirun are 2 bronze models of Nagas.
Opposite Ho Phra Khanthararat is another shrine for a seated Buddha statue protected by a 7-headed naga. It is recognized as a 1,000 over year old statue built by a Khmer craftsman somewhere between the 10th-15th century.
What an exciting place! You can take a look at the interactive map of the Bang Pa-In area: http://www.palaces.thai.net/bp/. Wat Niwet Thamprawat is the building at the bottom of the page! You will be able to view a 360 degree image of the area as well.
Do visit “The Gothic Temple” if you’re traveling to Thailand! I will be visiting this place as soon as some of our work is done. Nice and interesting place for sure.
Tsem Rinpoche
Monk Ceremony in Wat Niwet Thamprawat
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Monk-ceremony-at-Wat-Niwet-Thamprawat.mp4
Main entrance of Wat Niwet Thamprawat.
Inside their main prayer hall (ubosot)
How very gothic and not your typical Buddhist monastery!
Yet there are so many beautiful monks and nuns praying to Buddha…
A shrine of a Thai king
A stained glass image of King Rama V
Thai devotees being blessed by an ordained Buddhist monk
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Very unique and beautiful temple. Love the architecture and designs. The Thais really put Buddha’s teachings in their hearts. What a wonderful powerful holy site .Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful post with beautiful photos. May those who have visited the temple be blessed with good health and happiness ?
Very unique architecture and beautiful too. A Buddhist temple looking more to resembling a Christian church like cathedral.Yet there are so many beautiful monks and nuns praying to Buddha…….very exceptional.There is a seated Buddha statue which is 1,000 over year old protected by a 7-headed naga, built by a Khmer craftsman between the 10th-15th century.I do hope i could visit this beautiful temple one day.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this beautiful post with beautiful photos for us to see.May those who have visited the temple be blessed with good health always.
What a unique temple. At first I thought that the Thais converted a church into a Buddhist temple. But after reading the article, I learned that the temple was built in the style of a church by King Rama V. It showed how progressive King Rama V was. Who would even dare to build a temple looking like a church? What a great offering!
What’s most exciting is the 1,000 year old Buddha statue made by a Khmer craftsman.
This blog reminds me of a similar article I had come across, in which an old Lutheran church of Gothic architectural design in San Francisco, USA was bought over by a Taiwanese world Buddhist group. A dramatic makeover Chinese style with a fully remodelled interior, but with the original church building design left intact. Similarly, the main hall was remodelled to house a historical statue of Shakyamuni Buddha made from Taiwan, and the upstair main hall occupied by a 21-foot tall statue of Buddha Amitabha. Of course, this buddhist Gothic-style cathedral Temple at Thailand is definitely an exciting”view” not to be missed out when in Thailand! It is certainly a rare chance to be able to see the same again, or to able to visit such a “nice and interesting place for sure”. Thank you, Rinpoche, for your ever-kind hearted, caring and sharing attitude from your friends and grateful students.
anything is possible. We are so use to seeing one type or another due to our perception in life, in actual fact a temple is a temple, a monk is a monk. That is why I like Thailand a lot. In Buddhism it is all about acceptance. The Thais really put Buddha’s teachings in their hearts. What a wonderful powerful holy site!
I wish very much to see more in Malaysia.
Beautiful beautiful Buddhist Church! Through the kindness of the Thai King Rama V, I believe this building was built with the intention to attract people more people to dharma just like Buddha use 84000 ways of teachings. it reminded me that what really matter is the essence that inside this building – The 3 jewels.
Wow, combining atypical Gothic features with the serenity of the Buddha images. The stained glass features creating rainbow lights within the temple must be an awesome experience. On my to do list when i next visit Thailand. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this experience with us.