TEMPLE OF DAWN (WAT ARUN)

Bangkok, Thailand

The most well-known prang (temple tower) in Thailand is Wat Arun, The Temple of the Dawn. It is one of only six temples of the highest grade, and tallest, of the first class Royal Temples, and therefore one of Thailand's most revered temples. After the destruction of the former capital of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767, King Taksin the Great established Thonburi on the West bank of the Chao Phraya River as the new capital. The area where the Wat Arun stands, which is almost directly opposite of the Grand Palace on the other side of the Chao Phraya River, was chosen as the location for the new capital of the Thonburi Kingdom. The prang. over 250 feet tall, is of the Khmer (Cambodia) style. It is decorated with millions of small pieces of colorful Chinese porcelain, which was in those days used as ballast on ships from China. A steep stairway on the side of the prang leads up to a terrace. You can climb the stairway for a nice view of the river and surrounding area. Because the stairs are very steep and narrow, it is not possible to go all the way up. Around the main prang are four similar smaller prangs.

After sketching the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, I continued wandering through the city, coming soon to an older residential area with dark narrow pedestrian alleys, and people going about their daily chores. It felt ancient and primitive. Then at the end of one street, a shaft of light penetrated, leading to the view across the river seen here. A boatman charged me a small fare to sit on his dock while sketching.