Wat Pavaranivesh Vihara Ratchawarawihan ( th, วัดบวรนิเวศวิหารราชวรวิหาร; , ) is a major

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

('' wat'') in Phra Nakhon district,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. Being the residence of Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana; the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, it is the final resting place of two former kings of

Chakri Dynasty The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of t ...

;

King Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his effor ...

(Rama VI) and

King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

(Rama IX). The temple was established in 1824 by Mahasakti Pol Sep, viceroy during the reign of King Rama III (r. 1824–51). The temple is a center of the Thammayut Nikaya order of Thai

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

, it is the shrine-hall of ''Phra Phuttha Chinnasi'' (พระพุทธชินสีห์), a statue of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

which dates to around 1357. Bowonniwet has been a major temple of patronage for the ruling

Chakri dynasty The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of t ...

.Liedtke 2011, p. 57 It is where many royal princes and kings studied and served their monkhood, including King BhumibolMacdonald 2009, p. 108 and his son, the present king

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...

Architecture

The golden '' chedi'' at the ''wat''s shrine carries the relics and ashes of Thai royals. The two '' viharas'' are closed to public. The T-shaped '' bot'' holds a magnificent Sukhothai-period Buddha, cast in 1257 CE to celebrate freedom from the

Khmers The Khmer people ( km, ជនជាតិខ្មែរ, ) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Cambodia. They comprise over 90% of Cambodia's population of 17 million.

. The murals on the ''bot''s interior walls were traditionally light and limited in their subject matter and style. They were painted to appear three-dimensional. Monk artist

Khrua In Khong Khrua In Khong ( th, ขรัวอินโข่ง), one of the most celebrated Thai artists, was active in the 1850s and 1860s during the reign of King Rama IV. He was a painter under the patronage of King Rama IV (Mongkut). Khrua In Khong an ...

introduced Western style in the murals depicting Buddhist subjects.

Royal patronage and history

In 1836, Prince Bhikkhu Mongkut (ordination name: ''Vajirañāṇo'') arrived at the temple and became its first abbot, founding the Thammayut Nikkaya order. He stayed at the temple for 27 years before acceding the throne of

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

as King Rama IV. His great-grandson, King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; ( Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Grea ...

(Rama IX; ordination name: ''Bhumibalo''), was ordained a monk at

Wat Phra Kaew Wat Phra Kaew ( th, วัดพระแก้ว, , ), commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex c ...

, and resided in Bowonniwet for 15 days in 1956. Bhumibol's mentor, Somdet Phra Yanasangworn, eventually became abbot of the temple, and later the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. In 1978, King Bhumibol's son, King

(Rama X; ordination name: ''Vajirālankaraṇo''), was also ordained and spent 15 days at Bowonniwet. Several of his sons from his second wife,

Yuvadhida Polpraserth Sujarinee Vivacharawongse ( th, สุจาริณี วิวัชรวงศ์; ; 26 May 1962), born Yuvadhida Polpraserth ( th, ยุวธิดา ผลประเสริฐ; ), stage-named Yuvadhida Suratsawadee ( th, ยุว� ...

, later did the same.Williams, p. 57 In October 1976, exiled dictator and former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Thanom Kittikachorn Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( th, ถนอม กิตติขจร, ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004) was the leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973, during which he staged a self-coup, until public protests which exploded into viole ...

, returned to Thailand as a novice monk to enter Bowonniwet. This sparked large public demonstrations and a bloody crackdown that became known as the Thammasat University massacre or the "6 October Event".

List of abbots''วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร'', กรุงเทพฯ:มหามกุฏราชวิทยาลัย, 2546, หน้า 13-32

Media

image:Statue of King Rama IV at Wat Bowonniwet.JPG, Statue of King Rama IV in a niche at Wat Bowonniwet File:Bkk Wat Makut Kasat 05b.jpg, Royal emblem of Rama IV on the gable-board of the ''ubosoth'' File:Phraputthachinaratwbowon05.jpg, The statues of Phra Phuttha Chinnasi (front) and Phra Suwannakhet (back) in the main shrine hall. The ashes of King Rama IX are kept under the base of the statues File:ตำหนักเพ็ชร_วัดบวรนิเวศวิหาร_Tamnak_Phet_(Diamond_Residence)_in_Wat_Bowonniwet_01.jpg, Phra Tamnak Phet (Royal Diamond Residence) File:WatBovonPutthaBat050621.jpg, Buddha's footprint in Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok

Notes

References

* * * * * DhammaThai.or
A Guide to Meditation Centres in Thailand: Wat Bovornives Vihara
last retrieved 15 September 2006

External links

{{Authority control Bowonniwet Vihara Phra Nakhon district Bowonniwet Vihara 1830s in Siam Thai Dhammayut Buddhist temples Registered ancient monuments in Bangkok