THE WAT COMPLEX
A Wat is a collection of buildings within an enclosure serving dual purposes: Buddhist monastery, temple, and community center. There are about 30,000 wats in Thailand . Their construction is often funded by wealthy patrons – contributing to a wat is a good way to make merit. Each period of Thai history has seen modifications to wat architecture, and the exact layout and style of buildings vary considerably. However, the basic layout of most wats follows set principles, as do the functions of different buildings.
A mondop, is a square-based structure topped with either a spire, as pictured here with the mondop at Wat Phra Kaeo, or a cruciform roof. The edifice contains an object of worship or sacred texts.
A wall or cloister, may enclose the main part of the temple (known as the phutthawat). A cloister sometimes houses a row of Buddha images, and murals may be painted on its walls.
The ho trai or library, is used to house holy scriptures. A comparatively rare feature of wat complexes, they come in an assortment of shapes and sizes; this one at Wat Paknam in Bangkok is typical of a ho trai in a city wat. A ho trai in the countryside may have a high base, or be surrounded by water to minimize damage from insects.
A chedi, is a solid structure encasing a relic of the Buddha, such as a hair or fragment of bone, or the ashes of a king. Wat complexes are often built expressly to surround a sacred chedi.
The wihan, an assembly hall, is very similar to but usually larger than a bot and not demarcated by bai semas. There may be several wihans. This one at Wat Rachabophit, is, like several in Bangkok , an eclectic mix of architectural stles.
The bot (or ubosot), is the ordination hall reserved mainly for monks. It looks like a wihan but is surrounded by bai semas. The bot usually faces east and often houses the wat's main Buddha.
The cho fa, which means “tassel of air” is the most recognizably Thai architectural detail. Its shape is through to derive from a highly stylized garuda, a fierce bird featured in Hindu mythology.
Ho rakangs or bell towers, are used to toll the hour and summon monks to prayer. This one at Wat Rakhang is a comparatively large, ornate structure.
Important Wats -- Wats whose names begin with Rat-, Racha- or Maha- have been founded by royalty, or contain highly revered objects (with names often prefaced by “phra”). There are about 180 important wats in Thailand , and this imagined wat is typical. The bot and wihan are grand affairs, and there are a number of minor salas, as well as extensive monks' quarters. Lesser wats have fewer buildings and sometimes no wihan.
RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE
Thailand 's religious sites span more than 11 centuries. The materials used to build them invariably determine hoe much of each site can be seen today. Hindu-Buddhist Khmer temples were built of stone and, where restored, are fairly complete. Generally, all that is left of the wihans and bots of the Buddhist temples at Sukhothai and Ayutthaya are foundations and stone pillars, though some stone structures such as chedis and mondops are still standing. There are many fine examples of later Lanna and Rattanakosin Buddhist temples.
Khmer (9 th to 13 th centuries) Stone temple complexes, or prasats, in Northeast Thailand were built by the Khmers. Most have staircases or bridges lined with stone nagas (serpents) leading to a central sanctuary which is usually decorated with carved stone relief depicting Hindu myths and topped by a prang (tower). The sites in Thailand are Prasat Hin Khao Phnom Rung and Prasat Hin Phimai.
Sukhothai (mid-13 th to 15 th centuries) The cities of Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai witnessed the most radical architectural leap in Thai history. Amid sacred Khmer ruins, King Si Intharathit and his successors built wihans and bots to house Buddha images. Chedis, modeled on Sri Lankan bell-shaped reliquary towers, were added. Vast new temple complexes, such as Wat Mahathat, sometimes incorporated a unique development, the lotus-bud chedi.
Ayutthaya (mid-14 th to late 18 th centuries) The architects of Ayutthaya looked to the past, subtly modifying such features as Khmer prangs and Sri Lankan-style chedis. Temple buildings were ornate structures, with elaborate hang hong and door and window pediments. Few bots or wihans survived the Burmese sack of 1767; one exception is Wat Na Phra Men.
Lanna (mid-13 th to 19 th centuries) Religious buildings during the Lanna period in the North were inspired first by Dvaravati architecture, then later by Sukhothai, Indian, and Sri Lankan styles. Lanna's golden age was in the 14 th -15 th centuries. Unfortunately, few buildings remain from this period. Later 18 th -19 th century wats, seen in such towns as Chiang Mai, often feature intricate woodcarving, gilded hang hong, and murals.
Rattanakosin (late 18 th century to present) After the devastation of Ayutthaya the Thais attempted to recreate their lost past. The first bots and wihans built in the new capital, Bangkok , were similar to Ayutthayan structures; the most notable examples can be seen at Wat Phra Kaeo. Later temple buildings were grander and more elaborate. In the 19 th century buildings such as Wat Benchamabophit and Wat Rachabophit were built incorporating Western elements. The Rattanakosin style is also known as the Bangkok style.
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