Page 35 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Bangkok

Wat Arun ❮❮ 33

THE RISE AND FALL
OF KING TAKSIN
Taksin the Great
(r.1768–82) became
one of Siam’s most
successful warrior kings.
He waged wars with
Cambodia, Laos, and
the Malays, and by the
1770s he had expanded
Siam to its largest-ever
extent. Ousted in a
Ceramic Details
5 coup, he was executed
by being clubbed to
The colorful ceramics (above) that cover the
prang are an early form of recycling. In the 1800s, death in a velvet sack so
that royal blood would
Chinese trading ships carried broken porcelain as not touch the ground.
ballast. When offloaded, it was used as decoration.
The Bot
Symbolic
Kinnari
6 8 0
Levels
Tucked away in
The Buddha image
small coves on the in the bot (ordination The central prang has
second level of the hall) was apparently three symbolic levels. The
central prang are molded by Rama II base stands for Traiphum,
kinnaris, crea tures (r.1809–24) himself, all realms of existence in
that are half-bird, and his ashes are the Buddhist universe; the
half-woman. buried in the middle, Tavatimsa, where
Kinnaris are just base of the desires are grati fied;
one of the many statue (left). The the top, Devaphum, six
Thai mythical murals were heavens within seven
creatures created during realms of happiness.
(see p15) the reign of
depicted at Rama V
the temple. (see p40).
Decoration of
Mondop
7 9
Minor Prangs
Between each of
Representing the four the four-cornered prang
great seas, these is a mondop (altar)
smaller prangs are (right). Each holds a
supported by demons Buddha statue at key
and monkeys. Each has stages of his life – birth
a niche with a statue of (north), medita tion (east),
Phra Pai, the god of preach ing (south), and
wind, on a white horse. entering Nirvana (west).

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