Back to Bangkok before flying home to Australia with only one full day to go so I returned to the Chao Phraya Riverboat and on to Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), probably my favorite Bangkok temple.
Wat Arun วัดอรุณ is one of the few Bangkok temples that predates the formation of the current ruling Chakri dynasty. Originally named Wat Makok, it was shown on French maps made “during the reign of King Narai (1656–1688)”, it was taken over by “King Taksin” and renamed Wat Jaeng “when he established his new capital of Thonburi near the temple, following the fall of Ayutthaya” in 1769. Taksin expelled the monks already in residence and converted it to his private use and incorporated it within his palace grounds where he “enshrined the [much travelled] Emerald Buddha image, before it was transferred to Wat Phra Kaew on the river's eastern bank in 1785”.
It was then abandoned until the reign of “Rama II (1809–1824), who had the temple restored and the main pagoda raised to 70 m” [actually 67m], which was completed by his successor. During the restoration the temple was renamed to Wat Arun Rajtharam วัดอรุณราชวรารามราชวรมหาวิหาร. The main prang at 67 metres is still the tallest in Thailand. Several further restorations have been made since with the most recent and extensive being completed in 2017.
See Wikipedia and Oriental Architecture.
