Wat Yannawa (), commonly known in English as "the boat temple", is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

(

Wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

) in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, 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 estim ...

on Charoen Krung Road, Sathon district. The temple has a long history from the

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

era to the present. During the rule of

King Rama III Nangklao (born Thap; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), also known by his regnal name Rama III, was the third king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 21 July 1824 to 2 April 1851. Nangklao was the eldest surviving son of King Rama II ...

, a viharn was built in the shape of a Chinese junk, giving the temple the nickname "the boat temple". This construction inside the temple houses a space where people pray; a nearby

ubosot The ordination hall (Pali: ''sīmā'') is a Buddhist building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual (''upasampadā'') and other ritual ceremonies, such as the recitation of the Pāṭimokkha. ...

enshrines Buddha images and illustrations of th
Loi Prathip Royal Lantern Festival
(). Additional exterior buildings enshrine a Buddha relic from

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

and the

Goddess of Mercy Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...

History

The temple was built during the

Ayutthaya Kingdom The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...

, before the founding of Bangkok. It was originally called Wat Kok Khwai () because the community of Dawei people in the area bought and sold buffalo; later, it was renamed as Wat Kok Krabue (). During the reigh of King Rama I, the temple gained royal status and the

was built. During the reign of

, a viharn was built in the shape of a Chinese junk. The temple was renamed as Wat Yannawa, which translates as "the boat temple". The two chedis on the deck represent masts and the altar at the back represents the wheelhouse. Because of this unique structure, locals call the temple “''sampao chedi''” ("the Chinese junk with chedis"). King Rama III chose the shape of a junk as a means of historical preservation; he believed the junk was becoming obsolete due to new ship types, and wanted to preserve its image.

Interior

The "stern" of the ship enshrines four

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 legends, he was ...

statues and replica footprints, including Thai and Chinese inscriptions. The larger chedi has 20 wooden recesses, while the smaller one has 16. There is also a room dedicated to

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

, which some believe to come from Buddha. The ubosot enshrines the principle of subduing Mara Buddha image and includes other buddha images. Interestingly, on the doors and windows are painted images of a ''yaku jar'' (), a jar used for offerings in a royal ceremony. On the upper part of the door and back of the room is drawn a big Krathong () in the style of used in the Loi Prathip Royal Lantern Festival (). This kind of picture, at this size, is rare in Thailand.

Exterior

Three statues of the

are enshrined in a separate, Chinese-style temple, and a building enshrines a Buddha relic from

Gallery

File:Wat Yan Nawa.jpg, One of the minor chedis on the junk File:Wat Yannawa.jpg, Wat Yannawa before a major renovation File:Wat Yannawa (8415891607).jpg, Wat Yannawa museum building File:พระพุทธรูปปางลีลา วัดยานนาวา.jpg, Walking Buddha statue File:พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์ พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว รัชกาลที่ ๓ Statue of King Rama III.jpg,

sculpture standing in front of a chedi File:พระเจดีย์บนเรือสำเภา วัดยานนาวา.jpg, Another minor chedi on the junk, decorated with flags

References

External links

The temple's Facebook page
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Yan Nawa Yan Nawa or Yannawa (, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by (clockwise from west to northeast) Rat Burana (across Chao Phraya River), Bang Kho Laem, Sathon, and Khlong Toei Districts of Bang ...