Wat Pho

(Image source: www.amazingthailand.org.cn)

Wat Pho, also Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha is associated with King Rama I who rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site, and became his main temple where some of his ashes are enshrined. The temple was later expanded and extensively renovated by Rama III. The temple complex houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, including a 46 m long reclining Buddha.

The reclining Buddha (Thai: พระพุทธไสยาสน์) were built in 1832. The image of the reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana. The figure is 15 m high and 46 m long, and it is one of the largest Budha statues in Thailand.The soles of the feet of the Buddha are 3 m high and 4.5 m long, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are each divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified, such as flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers, and altar accessories.

The temple is considered the earliest center for public education in Thailand, and the marble illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognized by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught and practiced at the temple.