Wat Arun วัดอรุณ

Wat Arun

* Wat Arun [ the Temple of Dawn ] is a riverside Temple on the West side of the Chao Phraya River almost opposite Wat Po on the East side. It is constructed of brick on the place where General Taksin [ later King Taksin ] and his surviving army landed after the sacking of Ayuthaya.
* The Central Prang is 79 metres high [ 259 feet ] and is cornered by 4 smaller prangs. All of these are encrusted with porcelain and ceramic pieces to form motives, usually of flowers, mythical animals and figures.
* Construction was commenced under Rama 2 whose bronze statue stands just to the north of the Temple on the River embankment.
* The design style is Ayuthayan, which also follows traditional Khmer and ultimately Hindu concepts. The Central Prang symbolises ancient Mount Meru and the steepness and consequential difficulty in climbing its steps is intended to illustrate the difficulty in life of attaining closeness to the realm of the Gods.
* The use of ceramics and porcelain is intended to make the Temple glisten in the sun, especially at dawn in the early mornings, at sunset and at moonlight. For sightseeing and photography it is best approached by boat across the Chao Phraya River.
* The four smaller and corner Prangs contain statues of the God Phra Pai, the God of wind. It is on the Thon Buri side of the river in what was originally the walled city of Thon Buri.