| I love everything about living in Bangkok:
the hustle and bustle, the strange sights,
even the strong smells. However, there are
times when city life becomes overwhelming
and I need to find somewhere to retreat
for a while to soothe my senses. Whenever
I feel this way, my thoughts turn first
to Wat Saket, known as the Golden Mount;
a large temple with a towering gilded chedi
atop a hill situated just a ten-minute walk
from Khao San Road. |
| |
| It is nearly dusk and I find myself climbing
the 318 steps that wrap themselves around
the smooth white sides of Wat Saket. I find
the staircase rather steep and I have to
pause occasionally to get my breath back,
trying to look as though I am simply enjoying
the view. The Golden Mount was once the
highest point in Bangkok. After being used
to the flatness of Bangkok, the 80-meter
climb can be rather challenging and I am
glad to be tackling it during the cooler
part of the day. |
| |
| At three points, the stairs
are broken by a short platform, and I pause
on one of these to ring the large prayer
bells. Striking the bells produces a deep,
majestic tone, which resonates and carries
out into the distance. |
| |
| At the top of the stairs,
I pause to take off my shoes and catch my
breath, then enter the circular structure
of the temple. Before climbing to the very
top, I make my way into the center, where
four niches mark the points of the compass
and each hold a statue of Lord Buddha. |
| |
| The center of the Golden Mount is lit
by candles and smells strongly of wax and
incense. The combined effect of the soft
lighting and the heady scent makes me feel
reverent and I pause to pay respect to each
statue before continuing. This part of the
temple contains some of the Buddha relics
that were discovered in 1897 under the ruins
of Pipraawaa near the frontier of Nepal. |
| |
| Once I have slowly circled
the centre of the temple I put my coin in
the collection box and climb the short wooden
ladder to the top. As I pass through a doorway,
I am outside once more, the cool, fresh
wind serving as my reward for having made
the climb. The view from the top is spectacular
- I can see right across Bangkok to the
imposing structure of Bioke Tower. Nearby
the Chao Phraya river sparkles, spanned
by the magnificent structure of the Rama
IV Bridge. |
| |
| At the base of Wat Saket,
I can see the center of the temple compound,
where a giant golden Buddha statue is housed
in a bot - an open house-like structure
- that has been extensively restored. The
Buddha statue is situated in the samaadhi
(contemplation) attitude with a disciple
seated either side. |
| |
| Situated in an enclosure at
the front of the bot is a cutting of the
sacred Bodhi tree, which was brought from
Anuraadhapura in Northern Sri Lanka in 1818.
This cutting is believed to be a grafting
of the original Bodhi tree from Gaya in
India where Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment.
It is an honour to study and meditate at
Wat Saket and the grounds contain accommodation
for over 300 monks. |
| |
|
Wat Saket has a rich and interesting
history. The temple's full name is Wat
Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, and it was
commissioned in the late 18th century
by King Rama I, making it one of the oldest
temples in Bangkok.
|
| |
| The golden chedi was commissioned
in 1800 by King Rama III. He wanted to build
a replica of the large golden pagoda in
the former capital of Ayudhaya, but the
ground was too soft and the temple collapsed.
The structure was left until the reign of
King Rama ordered the restructuring of the
temple and 1,000 teak logs to shore the
temple and prevent it from sinking once
more. During World War II, the Golden Mount
was graced with concrete walls to prevent
it from collapsing and extensive maintenance
is carried out to keep the structure looking
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