Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
BAN BAAT
( Monk's Bowl Village; Soi Ban Baat; 8am-5pm; klorng boat to Tha Phan Fah)
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Ban Baat is the only
remaining village of three established in Bangkok by Rama I (King Phraphutthayotfa; r
1782-1809) for the purpose of handcrafting
bàht,
the bowls that monks use to collect alms
from the faithful each morning.
The alms bowls are sold for between 600B and 2000B and make great souvenirs. To find
the village, walk south on Th Boriphat, south of Th Bamrung Meuang, then follow the
signs into narrow Soi Ban Baat.
As cheaper factory-made bowls are now the norm, the artisanal tradition has shrunk to
about half a dozen families. You can observe the process of hammering the bowls together
from eight separate pieces of steel, said to represent Buddhism's Eightfold Path. The joints
are then fused with melted copper wire, and the bowl is beaten, polished and coated with
several layers of black lacquer. A typical
bàht
-smith's daily output is one large bowl, more
if the bowls are smaller.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
WAT RATCHANATDARAM
(Th Mahachai; 8am-5pm; klorng boat to Tha Phan Fah)
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Across Th Mahachai from the Golden
Mount, this temple is most stunning at night when the 37 spires of the all-metal
Loha Prasat
(Metal Palace) are lit up like a medieval birthday cake. It was built for Rama III (King
Phranangklao; r 1824-51) in the 1840s in honour of his granddaughter.
At the back of the compound, behind the formal gardens, is a well-known market selling
Buddhist
prá krêu·ang
(amulets) in all sizes, shapes and styles.
Wat Ratchanatdaram's design is said to derive from metal temples built in India and Sri
Lanka more than 2000 years ago. The 37 spires represent the 37 virtues that lead to enlight-
enment. The interior is relatively unadorned by Thai temple standards, but the hallways and
square edges contribute to a symmetry reminiscent of the much earlier temples at Angkor,
in Cambodia.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
