The headquarters of Thailand's
largest monastic order and the home of Vipassana Meditation, Wat Mahathat is
the most important center for the study of Buddhism and meditation. Although
most programs are in Thai, there are some in English and the temple has become
a popular place to learn the Vipassana meditation method.
The temple was originally constructed to house a relic of
the Buddha and one of the oldest temples in Bangkok.
One can also have your fortune told inside. Just next to the temple, every
Sunday features the Bangkok's largest amulet market, where religious amulets,
charms, talismans, and traditional medicine are spread out on the ground to be
inspected by buyers searching for one that will bring good luck or ward off
evil. Different amulets are used for specific purposes, to bring wealth,
restore health, deal with unrequited love or keep ones enemies away, so choose
carefully.
Wat Taimit
Wat Traimit has a magnificent solid gold seated Buddha nearly 5 meters high
and weighing five and a half tons. In the past, artisans crafted the
Buddhas in gold and concealed them from invading armies by a covering
of stucco and plaster. The Buddha at Wat Traimit was uncovered by
accident when it was accidentally dropped as it was being
moved, revealing, under a casing of plaster, a beautiful solid
gold Sukhothai style Buddha. Pieces of the plaster are still kept on
display.
Wat Sutat
This is one of the oldest temples with a sweeping elegant roof and the
site of the original Giant Swing ceremony. A huge teak arch, all that
remains of the original Giant Swing, lies in the grounds in front of the
temple. The swing was used in a ceremony to give thanks for a good rice
harvest. Young men would ride the swing high in the air, suspended 80 feet from
the ground when in full swing, and try to grab a bag of silver coins with their
teeth. Some serious injuries and a few deaths led to the hazardous swing
ceremony being discontinued after 1932, but the thanksgiving ceremony is still
celebrated in mid-December after the rice harvest