Architecture

The compound of Wat Yanasangvararam is divided into four sections: the Buddhavas, Sanghavas, Karavas and the royal-initiated and royal development projects section. Only the Buddhavas and certain parts of the royal-initiated projects section are open to tourists.

The Nak Lennam Nanachat (International Naga) Pavilions
     The Nak or Mangkorn Lennam Nanachart (International Naga or dragon) Pavilions are located at the entrance to Wat Yanasangvararam, on the bank of the Klong Ban Amphoe water reservoir. The pavilions were built in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the auspicious occasion of his 5th Cycle Birthday Anniversary.      There are currently eight pavilions: Thailand’s Central Thai Pavilion, Lanna (Northern) Thai Pavilion and Isan (Northeastern) Thai Pavilion; Singapore’s Jeen Nok and Jeen Nai Pavilions; Japan’s Japanese Pavilion; India’s Indian Pavilion; and Switzerland’s Farang (Westerner) Pavilion. Pavilions of the four guest countries were granted financial support by those countries for their designing and construction in the distinctive architectural style of each country.
Lord Virulhaka Maharaja Buddha Pandit Shrine
     The shrine is situated in the forest park across the Prince Father and Princess Mother Memorial Garden.It houses a sculpture of Lord Virulhaka Maharaja Buddha Pandit, who was highly revered by the land donors and benefactors of the monastery construction as the benevolent force behind the success of the project. The Devalai or shrine and the park are dedicated as his abode where visitors and participants in Dharma practice can come to pay their homage and present offerings.      Designed by M.R. Mitrarun Kasemsri, the Shrine is surrounded by lush gardens that stretch from the Park to the pond’s edge. The name ‘Jaturangsee Forest Park’ means the park where the four haloed keepers of the world or Jatulokaban and their entourages reside.      Lord Virulhaka Maharaja is one of the Jatu Maha Rachika, divine keepers of the four cardinal points, which comprise Thao Kuvera, generally known as Thao Vessuvan, keeper of the North and ruler of the Yaksas (giants); Thao Thatarot, keeper of the East and ruler of the Gandharvas, a type of heavenly beings; Lord Virulhaka Maharaja, keeper of the South and ruler of the Kumphan or giants; and Thao Viroopak, guardian of the West and ruler of the Nagas (great serpents).
Phra Pokklao Ariyakhet
     This monument was built as a merit-making homage to His Majesty King Prachadhipok (Rama VII), whose reign saw democracy established in Thailand. At the entrance to the monument are the busts of His Majesty King Prachadhipok as a layman and a monk. A life-size statue, casted from dark smoked bronze, of His Majesty King Prachadhipok seated on a throne, is at the innermost section of the monument.
Ariyakarn
     This building, designed by Khun Sanit and Khun Preeya Chimchom, is situated to the left of Phra Pokklao Ariyakhet. In the middle of the building’s main room is a Buddha image, flanked on both sides by fiberglass figures of Thailand’s 22 holy monks and 2 laywomen of great eminence.      
Uposatha Hall
     The Ubosoth Hall (main chapel or ordination hall) of Wat Yanasangvararam was built as a merit-making tribute to King Taksin the Great. It was modelled after the Vihara Rangsi building in Wat Bowannivet Vihara. Based on a geo-astrological belief, its location was specifically selected for prosperity and good fortune by having its front facing the sea and its back against the mountain.      Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the Ubosoth Hall’s stone foundation laying ceremony on 24 March 1980.      His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali, presided over the Tat Luk Nimit ceremony on 30 April 1982.      On that occasion, all four members of the royal family planted four nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) trees around the boundary of Ubosoth Hall.
MorWorKor. SorThor. Pavilion
     This pavilion was built in tribute to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. It is normally used for morning and evening prayers of the Ubasok (devout laymen) and Ubasika (devout laywomen), and serves as novice’s living quarters during their summer ordination at Wat Yanasangvararam. In the geo-astrological view, this pavilion represents one wing of a swan while its pair, the SorWor KorWor Pavilion, represents the other wing.
Tipitika Scripture Hall
     Situated near the Drum Tower and the Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat Stupa, this building was built in the traditional Thai practice of keeping the Buddhist Holy Scriptures, the Tipitaka, and other Buddhist texts in a structure built above a pond of water to protect them against ants and insects.      This hall was built in an applied Thai architectural style with a simi-lar shape to the Tipitaka Scripture Hall of Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai Province.
Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat
     Constructed to honor past monarchs of the Chakri Dynasty, this magnificent stupa is 39-meter tall and 37-meter wide across the base with three floor levels. The lowest level houses temporary exhibitions while the second level houses a replica of the Buddha’s footprints and the third level, which is called “Hong Thong (the Golden Room)”, houses the holy relics of Buddha and his disciples.      His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej bestowed the name of “Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat” upon this stupa. The name means “the Stupa that contains the Buddha’s relics for the progress and stability of the Chakri Dynasty”.      His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit presided over the stone foundation laying ceremony of the Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat Stupa on 30 April 1982, which coincided with the 200th anniversary of the founding of Rattanakosin. Their Majesties also presided over a ceremony to raise three Phra Maha Chakri royal emblems to be placed permanently at the top of the Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat Stupa on 30 July 1985. Their Majesties again visited the site to perform the sprinkling of holy water, the anointing and raising of the gold umbrella to the Stupa’s apex on 28 June 1988.
Chiwaka Komaraphat Hermitage
     This building stands behind the Phra Boromthat Chedi Maha Chakripipat Stupa. Inside the building are two Chiwaka Komaraphat Hermitages – one contains a golden stucco statue of Chiwaka Komaraphat, a legendary master physician of ancient times, the other enshrines a black stucco statue of the same master.      Chiwaka Komaraphat was considered a master of traditional medicine and Buddha’s personal doctor.
Phra Maha Mondop Phuttabat PhorPorRor. SorKor.
     This structure is built on top of Khao Kaew Hill as a homage to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. It is 33-meter tall and 9-meter wide across the base. Enshrined inside is a pair of the Lord Buddha’s footprints with the engraved 108 Mongkhol (auspicious) design surrounded by depictions of Phra Asiti, the Eighty Great Disciples of Buddha.      His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej presided over the foundation stone laying ceremony of this Maha Mondop on 27 June 1984.      Buddha images of four different postures of Pang Leela (Buddha ascending from heaven), Pang Ramphueng (contemplating Buddha), Pang Prathanphon (blessing Buddha), and Pang Perd Lok (Buddha opening the three worlds) are placed at each of the four corners of the Maha Mondop. The meanings of these Buddha images are as follows: The Buddha image in the Leela posture was built in homage to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The Buddha image in the Ramphueng posture was built in homage to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The Buddha image in the Prathanphon posture was built in homage to King Taksin the Great. The Buddha image in the Perd Lok posture was built in homage to King Naresuan the Great.      All four Buddha images, the Buddha’s footprints and Giant figure designs found at the foot of the staircase leading to the Maha Mondop were the works of Mr. Mod Wongsawad, the 1988 National Artist in visual arts.      The golden mosaics. The decorative golden mosaics of the Maha Mondop are those previously used to decorate the Phra Si Rattana Chedi Stupa in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. During the latter’s 1982 renovation, the old golden mosaics were removed and replaced by imported mosaics from Venice, Italy. The old ones were then used to decorate the Maha Mondop.      The staircase leading to Phra Maha Mondop Phuttabat PhorPorRor is decorated with a stucco, three-headed Naga (Great Serpent) on each side. The wavy bodies of the Naga in the form of the balustrades of the staircase were crafted in the Nak Sadueng (shuddering naga) design. The staircase has a total of 200 steps.
SorWor. KorWor. Pavilion
     This pavilion was built in tribute to Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother. Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra, presided over its stone foundation laying ceremony. The pavilion is normally used by monks for having morning meal and by laymen for merit-making functions on different occasions.
Bell Tower
     This bell tower is situated at the back of the SorWor KorWor Pavilion, northeast of the Ubosoth Hall. A monk will ring the bell at 4.00 am to rouse monks, novices and layman dharma practitioners from their sleep to prepare for their morning meditation and prayer session.
Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Boromrajajonani Pavilion
     This pavilion was built as a homage to Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother upon her 90th birth anniversary in 1990.      There are two rooms with glass panels inside the pavilion, one on each side of the principal Buddha image. In the room on the right is a wax figure of Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother at 90 years old, seated on a chair under the ceiling decorated with carved wood images of the twelve zodiac signs. In the room on the left are two wax figures of His Royal Highess Prince Mahidol of Songkla and Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother.      At present, Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Boromrajajonani Pavilion is used for the training of young Buddhists and people who attend Dharma training sessions in large groups.
The Replica Buddhagaya Chedi
     This replica stupa was built to fulfill His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara’s desire to have a commemorative structure constructed for the Lord Buddha in this monastery. M.R.Mitrarun Kasemsri’s design was adapted from the original Buddhagaya Chedi in India.      The replica Buddhagaya Chedi is a symmetrically square structure with a width of 22.50 meters on all sides. It is enclosed by Phra Rabieng (cloisters) and Kampaengkaew (boundary walls) and surrounded by flower gardens of geometrical patterns.      The principal stupa is seven-storey tall with a floor-to-floor height of 3 meters and a width of 12 meters across the base. If the two levels at the stupa’s base are included, the stupa will be nine-storey tall. There is a spiral stairway leading to the top floor. A permanent exhibition on the topic of ‘What did Buddha discover from his enlightenment?’ is displayed along the exterior veranda and the interior walls of the principal stupa on the ground level.
Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya Vihara
     Situated in front of the replica Buddhagaya Chedi, this structure faces north. It is built in the Central-region style of Vihara on a raised basement with a Jaturamuk-style (in the shape of a cross) hall where the Ariya Metteyya Buddha image is established.      The Ariya Metteyya Buddha image was designed by Mr. Fua Haripitak, the 1985 National Artist in visual arts, from the vision perceived by Mr. Pranart Tattanond who sponsored its crafting. With the start of the preparation stage in 1964, the work was finally completed in 1984. To fulfill the goal of this project, the Buddha image was presented to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej who later had it established in this chapel.      The bright golden body of Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya Buddha is made from 84,044 bronze alms bowl covers. The number 84,044 comes from the combination of 84,000 Buddhist dharma teachings, 12 zodiac signs, and 32 human organs.
The Prince Father and Princess Mother Memorial Garden
     The two monuments in this memorial garden are on top a small hill surrounded by flower gardens. The first monument comprises the statues of the standing His Royal Highess Prince Mahidol of Songkla, The Prince Father and Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother.      The other monument is the statue of the Her Royal Highness Princess Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother, at 90 years of age, sitting on a rock.      The Prince Father and Princess Mother Memorial Garden was completed in 1999.
Drum Tower
     This two-storey, octagonal, reinforced concrete structure was built in the applied Thai architectural style, and was modelled after Mahakan Fort at the foot of Phanfah Leelart Bridge in Bangkok.
(Thailand) สมเด็จพระพุทธญาณนเรศวร์
Sorry, this entry is only available in Thai.