Bangkok Thailand - Turtle Temple (Wat Prayurawongsawat)

Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawiharn
Turtle Temple - Bangkok Thailand
วัดประยุรวงศาวาสวรวิหาร

Temple lays quietly on the banks of the the Chao Phraya river just near Saphan Phut (bridge) and it is a nice place to visit in Bangkok if you happen to like temples. In terms of visit period probably 30 to 45 minutes is about enough. 

The place of the temple was originally the site of a coffee plantation belonging to Somdet Chao Phraya Maha Prayurawong. In 1828 he donated the site for the building of his temple. King Rama III gave the temple its current name but the local people preferred calling it Wat Rualek because of its big fence surrounding the temple made from iron in form of lances, swords and axes. 


Only a part of fence remains. This is the first temple of Rattanakosin period where the Chedi (Pagoda) was built in the Lanka style. 

Inside the wiharn is a Buddha image in subdoing mara posture called Luang Phor Nark. We believe it was one of a pair with Phra Sri Sakkayamuni, the principal Buddha image of Wat Suthat Thepwararam.

วัดประยุรวงศาวาสวรวิหาร - candles

Wat Prayurawongsawat Worawiharn

Chedi - Bangkok Turtle Temple

Buddha statue - Turtle temple

The front part of this Bangkok Thai-Chinese temple has a rock garden, little waterfalls and a small artificial hill with stupas containing the ashes of people that were cremated. A lot of turtles (hence the name) and big fish are hanging out in some pools. 

Feeding is allowed and encouraged. The water is not very clear and the pools seem overpopulated, but walking here feels like being in a fairy tale. The actual temple in the back and has a high white chedi.




You can reach to the temple by taking the BTS Sky Train to Wongwian Yai station and then take a tuk-tuk to the temple. The direction is towards Saphan Phut. Thetemple is on the west side of the Chao Phraya river. 

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The Tiger Shrine Bangkok

The Tiger Shrine Temple - Bangkok, Thailand

There are more than 40,000 (forty thousand) temples in Thailand and no matter how much I would try, it would be quite impossible to see even a half of them, however every time I see something new or interesting, like the Tiger Shrine, sharing is a must.

No evidence can tell that the Tiger Shrine really existed but from the telling of the people that live near by and by asking the old abbot we can assume that the shrine existed more than 90 years ago, or before 1917.

At first it was only a small wooden shrine near the big bodhi tree at the East of the old church. Inside the wooden shrine there were the tiger drawings for worship. Later on the people who had faith rebuilt the shrine and the image of the tiger god.

The form of the tiger shrine and image of the tiger are seen nowadays right here at the Tiger Shrine temple in Bangkok.

The image on the left shows brand new painted dragon poles at the temple entrance.

Wax monks statues at the Tiger shrine - they are quite impressive.

 Within the Tiger Shrine there are a few worship places which looks like houses. They are all interesting, some of them holding was monks statues, other golden statues of Buddha. The entrance is free but the shoes must be taken off before entering any of these worship places.

Near by there is a canal and you can feed the fish as well - considered a donation.

Wooden floor makes it nice to walk through

Golden statues - worship place

Buddha statues along with a story written under each one of it

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Enjoy your Thailand trip!