Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
relationship with the West was being embraced at this time, less than fifteen years after
the signing of the Bowring Treaty. Much of the impetus towards the relationship with the
West had come from Dit Bunnag, regent to Rama
IV
, and his son Chuang, as Sri Suriy-
awong, had been regent to the 15-year-old Chulalongkorn when he became Rama
V
, re-
maining in that position until the king attained his majority in 1873. Wat Ratchabophit
therefore marks a significant point in Siamese history, and in the way in which Western
architectural styles were absorbed. The stupas that form such a varied frontage along
the inner moat are part of the Royal Cemetery, and along with the familiar bell shapes
and Khmer-style
prangs
there are some memorials here that are pure Gothic, rising up
amongst the trees like miniature cathedrals. Entering the temple from the north, at Ratch-
abophit Road, the doors are decorated with cartoon-ish figures of Western guards. And
whereas the traditional temple layout is based upon square courtyards, a circular cloister
connects the
ubosot
and
wiharn
, in the centre of which is a golden
chedi
. Because of this
layout, the
sema
, the traditional eight boundary stones that surround an
ubosot
, have in-
stead been set on a circle of columns facing in eight directions. Instead of the usual white,
the walls of the temple are clad in
benjarong
tiling, the roofs are blue, red and gold, and
the interior of the
ubosot
is a lush riot of Italian design. As a contrast, however, the monks'
quarters within the temple compound are designed in a Chinese style.
