Wat Borom Niwaat Rachaworawihaan (วัดบรมนิวาสราชวรวิหาร)

Thai. ‘Great Royal Abode Temple’. Name of a third class royal temple in Bangkok of the category Phra Araam Luang. The ubosot, the main prayer hall, houses a Buddha image in the maravijaya pose and has an unique style of mural paintings that depict a western drawing style. The murals are the work of the painter Ek Karua Inkhong (เอกขรัวอินโข่ง) and includes a scene of some men and women pondering in awe at a giant lotus flower that blooms in the middle of a pool, which is depicted on a postage stamp issued to mark the 2020 Thai Heritage Conservation Day. The area of the ubosot has a variety of stone sculptured figures from China, i.e. granite statues that are said to have been brought to Siam as ballast to weigh down the otherwise empty ships, including several Imperial Guardian Lions (fig.); some of the Eight Immortals (fig.) with their attributes, such as Lan Tsai-ho (fig.) with a flower basket and Chang Kuo Lao (fig.) with a yugu (fig.) or fish drum (fig.); Shou, the Chinese god of longevity and one of the Three Star Gods; the General Kuan U; Chinese door gods; Mandarins (fig.);  etc. The window panels of the ubosot and of some of the surrounding pavilions are on the outside decorated with mirrored-glass in various colours, an art and technique known as waen fah (fig.). On the inside, the window panels of the ubosot are decorated with Chinese attributes and symbols, such as a fish drum; bats, symbols for good luck; a pipa, a traditional Chinese four-stringed lute; miniature landscaped penjing trees; Chinese gold ingots; a Chinese farmer on a buffalo; Peony flowers; a boy with an ancient Chinese fang kong qian coin on a string; vases with flowers, reminiscent of the puranakata, i.e. the Vase of Plenty; etc. The main stupa is enclosed by an П-shaped gallery of with white walls on one side that are decorated with rows of gilded monks in bas-relief. Also transliterated Wat Borom Niwat Ratchaworawihan, or similar. See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1), (2), (3) and (4), POSTAGE STAMP, and MAP. 回