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Wat Arun or "Temple of the Dawn", Bangkok Thailand
The full name of the temple is Wat Arun Ratchawararam
Ratchawaramahawihan. Named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn, the
wat is one of the most well known in Thailand. The temple is so named
because the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the
temple with pearly iridescence. The main feature of Wat Arun is its
central prang or Khmer-style tower encrusted with colorful porcelain as
seen in this photo and the one below. The corners are surrounded by four
smaller satellite prangs decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain.
The Buddha image inside was cast in the reign of Rama II and said to have
been molded by the king himself with his ashes buried at the base. The
towers are supported by rows of demons and monkeys. The circumference of
the base of the structure is 234 meters, and the central prang is 250 foot
high. Construction was started by King Rama II in the early 19th
century and completed by circa 1850.
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