Thailand, nicknamed “the land of golden temples”, has long been famous for its many magnificent and unique spiritual tourist attractions. But Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is not an ordinary temple. Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is the only Buddhist temple in Thailand designed like a Western church.
The special temple is located in the middle of a big river.
The outside of the temple looks like a church.
The temple was built during the reign of King Rama V.
Construction of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat was completed in 1878, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). With a penchant for European architecture, the court at the time hired an Italian architect, Joachim Grassi, to design the building, which was considered the royal temple for Bang Pa-In Palace on the opposite side of the river.
The attractive feature of this monastery is that it is decorated in Western style. The ordination hall resembles a Catholic church with a gothic sloping roof. The windows inside the temple space are decorated with colorful stained glass depicting the image of King Rama V.
The main Buddha image, called “Phra Buddha Narumol Dhammopas,” sits on a plaster pedestal that resembles a cross. Opposite the Phra Khanthararat shrine, there is another shrine that houses a stone Buddha image sitting on a Naga dragon. This is an ancient Buddha image that is over a thousand years old and was crafted during the Lopburi period by a Khmer craftsman.
The main shrine of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat.
Buddha statue in the main shrine of the temple.
Another unique feature of Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is the approach to this temple. Since it is located on an island opposite the Royal Palace with a river branch separating it, a small cable car system has been installed for transportation, which is operated by the temple's monks.
Each cable car can accommodate 6-8 people and is completely free, all donations are welcome. With its unique architecture of a church-style temple, Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is one of the must-see religious attractions in Ayutthaya, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists.
Thai temples are called Wat (Vat) which originally means school, later understood as all monasteries, pagodas, temples, etc. Thai temple architecture has a harmonious combination of two completely opposite schools, one side has colorful colors, the other side has gentle, quiet nuances, this architectural style has fully reflected the beauty of the Thai people's soul.
Thai royal family attends the opening ceremony of Buddhist school.
According to statistics, Thailand currently has more than 40,000 temples and about 75% of the temples are in operation. The rest are structures in the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai. Thai golden temples are divided into many types and ranks. 200 temples in Thailand are recognized as Royal temples.
Daily sermons by Thai monks are held in a solemn and quiet atmosphere. Visitors can learn through meditation retreats in Chiang Mai, vibrant religious festivals in northeastern Thailand, peaceful cave temples in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi or scenic hilltop temples in northern Thailand.
