There is hardly a monumental destination spoken of wider and with more reverence than the Wat Arun which is comfortably poised along the river banks of the Chao Phraya River visible from far and striking in appearance. At night the Wat Arun lights up the entire skyline and can be seen from even your service apartment Sukhumvit. Therefore, unlike what is related by its name, the best time to call over to worship or sight see is after dusk. In fact if you have ever visited the Wat Arun or thereabouts during the day you would easily notice how the river transforms into a graceful flow of water reflecting the dazzling lights that shine upon it, how the Temple of Dawn steals the limelight from all the other edifices and how the annoying buzz diminishes to a lull.
Even modern day architectural developments such as the Citadines Sukhumvit 8 Bangkok humbly bow down to the magnificence of the Wat Arun which comprises a 70m tall spire and a few shorter spires all embellished with Chinese porcelain and carefully placed coloured glass. As awe inspiring as the structure is, it is a place of Buddhist worship held in high esteem, hence be conservatively clad if you wish to enter the premises and make your way up the main spire to capture the views of the area around and visit the hall where there is a large Buddha statue. The shrine is open to the public only between 08.00 am and 05.30 pm and an entrance fee is levied.
The Thai chronicles reveal the reason for being named the Temple of Dawn; King Taskin had arrived at this location at dawn one fine day after fleeing from Ayuththaya. The Wat Arun has stood at this site since the eighteenth century and was even home to the Emerald Buddha for a short period of time.
Filled with wanderlust that seeks to explore distant shores and captivated by the colors and vibrancy of exotic cultures, Kanya Mae writes on the beautiful, exciting, and enchanting wonders of the world. She is a writer who not only has a passion for travel, but also has a background in fashion, art and media. Google+
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