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Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Isarasundhorn Phra Buddha Loetla Nabhalai (Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรมหาอิศรสุนทรฯ พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย; RTGS: —Itsarasunthon Phra Phuttha Loet La Naphalai), or Rama II (24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), was the second monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1809-1824.

King Rama II restored the temple to its former glory and changed its name from Wat Chaeng to Wat Arun Rachatharam.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Loetla_Nabhalai

A towering statue of King Rama II in Wat Arun วัดอรุณ - close up shot.

King Rama II tried to create the first semblance of a modern government, creating ministries and appointing chief ministers to help with the running of the government.

One of the four smaller towers or satellite prangs in Wat Arun วัดอรุณ. This prang is way taller than all the surronding buildings.

I should have spend few more days in Bangkok. The land of smiles is beautiful, charming and attractive! I missed Thailand and bored with Kuala Lumpur.

Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, this temple can be reached either by Arun Amarin Road or by boat from Tha Tien Pier, near Wat Pho. The Tha Tien express boat pier, at the southwest corner of the Grand Palace or Wat Phra Kaew, is diagonally opposite Wat Arun and boats ply at very frequent intervals. Refer to the attached map below.

You can get to Tha Tien on the Chao Phraya River Express boats from any other pier, or take a taxi to it. Buses that go near Tha Tien are ordinary buses 1, 25, 44, 47, 62 and 91 that stop on Maharat road. Plenty of Thonburi canal tours also take tourists to visit this artistic piece of architecture.

The temple is open to the public daily from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

The admission fee for this legendary monument is 30 THB for foreigners, while entry is free for Thai citizens.

a) Climb up the central prang

b) Four satellite prangs

c) Temple complex (bot)

a) http://tinyurl.com/yaxj8n3 (Thailandforvisitors.com)

b) http://www.watarun.net/ (Official Website)

c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun (Wikipedia Article)

d) http://tinyurl.com/yehrtrd (TripAdvisor Travelers' Review)

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Title: Hurry Up Lady! I'm Waiting Here!
Location: Wat Arun วัดอรุณ, Bangkok, Central Thailand
Date: 4 September 2009, 12:18pm
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/8.0, ISO Equiv.: 100

The staircase look like an escalator! Going up is easy. But, walking down can be creepy! The stairs are steep and narrow. One small mistake you'll end up rolling down like an idiot.

The upper staircase (to the prang's terrace) can fit only one person at a time. At times, it can be really annoying waiting for visitors to get their valued portrait shots.

This central prang is a BIGGIE! Look at the size of the woman and the prang.

Look closely and you'll see three demons (on the middle) holding up the prang. In Malaysia, I've seen demons pinned to the ground by the The Four Heavenly Kings 四天王 (Four Guardian Gods).

An elaborate statue complete with headgear and beard.

Today, Wat Arun has a long elongated, Khmer-style, prang (the main tower) and four minor towers/satellite prangs symbolizing Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens.

Walk up the steep stairs to view the Chao Phraya River and its surrounding. The stairs will lead to two terraces that form the base of the Prang.

A partial view of a satellite prang/smaller towers visible from the staircase of the central prang. The prangs are topped with a seven-pronged trident, referred to by many sources as the "trident of Shiva".

The towering prang with its four smaller siblings (satellite prangs) were started by Rama II in the early part of the 19th century, and completed by his successor Rama III.

The central gigantic prang with one of the four satellite prangs. The main prang has different layers.

"The different layers, or heavens, are supported by Kinnaree, or half-humans, and frightening Yaksas, or demons. Pavilions on the first platform contain statues of the Buddha at the most important stages of his life, while on the second terrace four statues of the Hindi god Indra or Erawan, his thirty-three headed elephant, stand guard". Source: http://bangkok.sawadee.com/temple/temple_wat_arun.htm

A fierce looking guardian at the main entrance. The mascot on the red gate is garuda ครุฑ (krut). Thailand uses the garuda ครุฑ (krut) as its national symbol.

I walked from Wat Pho วัดโพธิ์ to Ta Thien pier to board a boat that cross the Chao Phraya River แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา for Wat Arun วัดอรุณ, Temple of Dawn. It was a short 7 minutes ride. From afar, I can see the main prang in Wat Arun วัดอรุณ. It is a GIGANTIC TOWER. During the initial boat ride, I was not impress with the prangs. I've seen it all in Grand Palace พระบรมมหาราชวัง and Wat Pho วัดโพธิ์. As the boat moves closer to the opposite pier, I saw people climbing up the big prang. WOW! That's interesting. I got this sudden adrenaline rush and I have to do it!

Once the boat docked, I paid 50 THB for entrance fee. By mid afternoon, it was getting hotter by the minute. I'm talking about BURNING HOT! Even the Thais were complaining and decided to apply sun lotion. It was my second day under the hot sun. It was really unbearable!

I visited some smaller attractions in Wat Arun วัดอรุณ before climbing up the middle prang. There are several medium-sized buildings with Buddha statues and relics. Along the way, I stumbled upon a pair of lovers seeking advice from a Thai monk. I decided to leave them alone. After that, I walked to the central prang of Wat Arun วัดอรุณ. It was surreal standing next to the main prang. I look like a baby smurf :)

According to Wikipedia:

"The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower). Steep steps lead to the two terraces. The height is reported by different sources as between 66m, 80 m and 86 m. The corners are surrounded by 4 smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun

The steps leading up the prang is steeper than Batu Caves. Climbing up is easy albeit occasional 'traffic jam' along the steps. As usual, some visitors were jamming up the staircase. Some visitors were glued for pictures. It was really annoying. Imagine standing right behind someone buttocks! I walked along the prang's perimeter to snap different view of Wat Arun วัดอรุณ. The view is OK and nothing to shout about. There are two pathways to the terraces - one going up and another going down. An Englishman and an elderly Japanese woman were having argument on the correct way to walk up and down the prang. SILLY, STUPID & call it what you want :)

Next...The BIGGEST PRANG in Wat Arun วัดอรุณ, Temple of the Dawn (Part 2)

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A white prang behind Hor Phra Monthian Dharma.

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A stone statue 'sitting' on top of a building.

This is one fierce looking creature. Look at those hairs.

Surreal looking piece of wall painting.

This picture reminds me of Warcraft & God of War.

By the time I reached Grand Palace พระบรมมหาราชวัง or Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, there were hundreds of visitors! A few travelers were stopped at Viseschaisri Gate (main entrance) for wearing improper attire. According to Wikitravel "A strict dress code applies for visitors to the palace. Ladies must cover their upper arms and legs down to the thigh, while men must wear long trousers and at least a T-shirt. Sarongs can be borrowed for free at the entrance, but you must leave a deposit."

I paid 350 THB for the entrance ticket. That was really expensive. Later, I discovered it was a 3 in 1 package. Basically, I got myself three separate tickets. 1st ticket - Entrance to Grand Palace พระบรมมหาราชวัง & Temple of Emerald Buddha วัดพระแก้ว, 2nd ticket - Entrance to Nimanvek Mansion and 3rd ticket - Entrance to Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Coins. The 2nd and 3rd tickets can be used 7 days from the date of purchase.

The Grand Palace พระบรมมหาราชวัง is SUPER HUGE!! I took four hours exploring the entire place. The palace was established in 1782 and it houses not only the royal residence and throne halls, but also a number of government offices as well as the renowned Temple of Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew วัดพระแก้ว. It covers an area of 218 000 square metres and is surrounded by four walls 1 900 metres in length.

The first thing that caught my attention is the ancient wall painting. The walls are decorated with scenes from the Ramakien first painted during the reign of King Rama I. The first scene depict the initial stages of war waged by Rama of Ayothaya to rescues his wife Sita, who had been abducted by Thotsakan (Ravana) King of Longka. I was mesmerized by the drawings and spent one hour admiring the story behind the paintings before exploring the rest of the palace.