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Thailand
2006 Buddhism and History Page 2 |
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 The northern city of Chiang Mai is filled with Buddhist temple complexes. This dragon is guarding the temple. |
 Another dragon outisde a temple in Chiang Mai. |
 A small temple at Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai. Dragons seem to be a big theme here. |
 Note how the people sitting in front of the Buddha image are turning their feet to the side. It is considered impolite to point your feet at the Buddha. This is inside the prayer hall at Wat Phra Singh. |
 The exterior of the prayer hall of Wat Phra Singh. The dragons are guarding the door again. |
 A few miles outside of Chiang Mai is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. Chiang Mai is right on the edge of the mountains, and Doi Suthep is a few hundred feet above the level of Chiang Mai, up into the foothills. Dragons are on guard again, but here they are at the foot of a long stairway that leads up to the temple complex. |
 I was there on a rainy afternoon. The bodies of the dragons go all the way up the stairs. |
 A chedi covered in gold-leaf. |
 This Buddha is wearing a real cloth garment. |
 A temple in the Doi Suthep complex. |
 This is Ayutthaya, about an hour north of Bangkok by train. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand from 1350 to 1767. The Ayutthaya Kingdom gradually expanded to become Kingdom of Siam, with nearly the same boundaries as the current state of Thailand. In 1767 the Burmese invaded. Later a new capital would be built at Bangkok. The wooden roof is long gone, but you can see the bases of the columns on the floor in this ceremonial hall. |
 Many of the buildings at Ayutthaya are made of brick, not stone. |
 The heads of these Buddhas were cut off by the invading Burmese in the 18th century. |
 Another Buddha wearing a real garment. |
 This much-photographed Buddha head has been surrounded by the roots of the tree. The purple chain fence was put in place to keep people away from the statue. |
 Wat Phra Si Sanphet |
 One of the chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet, at Ayutthaya. |
 I couldn't find out what the string around the Buddhas thumb was for. Does anybody out there know? |
 Wat Arun in Bangkok, one of the major sites on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River from the majority of Bangkok. |
 Monks praying at Wat Arun. |
 Flowers, candles, money, food, are all left at temples by the devout. |
 At Wat Arun, looking back across the river. |
 This traditional Thai building is part of a museum called Wang Suan Phakkat. This collection of buildings was once the home of a Thai princess. Many Thai buildings use this open style, with no exterior walls. |
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