TALES OF TWO TEMPLES
A pair of interesting wats along parts of the old Chao Phraya River offer plenty of culture to appreciate
It is beyond many people’s expectations to see a forest monastery in the heart of Thon Buri, the west quarter of Bangkok. Wat Pa Choeng Lane is nestled amid tropical trees in a secluded area accessible on foot or by boat by the Chak Phra Canal. If you travel by car or taxi, you must enter Soi Charan Sanitwong 37, go ahead about 3km and stroll 200m from the parking lot towards the temple. Upon arrival, you will feel like being in a different world. The temple compound is under the shade of trees. The ordination hall, pavilion, dining hall and living quarters of monks are in the minimalist style. Visitors can meet and discuss dhamma with monks in the raft pavilion. This temple focuses on meditation and dhamma practice and peace of mind rather than ceremonies.
Wat Pa Choeng Lane is a branch of Wat Hin Mak Peng in the northeastern province of Nong Khai. Wat Hin Mak Peng was established by the late Luang Pu Thes Thesrangsi, one of the major students of vipassana kammathan meditation master Luang Pu Mun Phurithattho. Monks here are very devout and have only one meal a day. Those wishing to make merit should arrive before 8am on weekdays and 9am on weekends.
According to the article “Wat Mai Choeng Lane: A Rebuilt Deserted Temple” by archaeology lecturer Prabhassara Chuvichean, Wat Pa Choeng Lane in present-day tambon Bang Khunsi, Bangkok Noi district, was rebuilt on the location of a deserted temple called Wat Mai Choeng Lane. Wat Mai Choeng Lane is shown on Bangkok Maps, published from 1897-1931, on the east side of Khlong Chak Phra, south of the mouth of Klong Bang Ramat and opposite Wat Raerai. It was not marked as a deserted temple at that time.
Documentary research found no information to date the establishment of Wat Mai Choeng Lane. When this temple was restored in 1989, the elderly in the area were interviewed. They said this temple had been deserted before they were born and should have dated to more than four older generations. Therefore, an assumption was made that the temple already existed in the Fifth Reign and became abandoned after 1907, probably because of either the threats of flooding or the lack of supporters.
When the temple was surveyed for restoration, only the base and damaged walls of the ordination hall were found. A stupa was submerged under water and visible only during the low current. All the three remaining Buddha statues were headless, but the heads were returned to the temple by unknown people when the restoration began. The temple was reopened in February 1990. Four original 50cm-tall sema (demarcation stones) were reinstalled around the ordination hall in 2004. Four-petal flowers, a Thai motif called kranok and a Western foilage motif were engraved on the stones. This type of sema is called by art historian Nor Na Paknam, or Prayoon Uruchala, sema lo (commonly found stones) dating to the reigns of King Rama IV and King Rama V when numerous temples were built or restored. These stones are evidence of the establishment or restoration of Wat Mai Choeng Lane from 1850 to 1897. The name Mai, meaning new, shows this temple was newer than old temples in the area, including Wat Chayathit, Wat Mali, Wat Raerai and Wat Chang Lek, that date to the Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin periods. Nor Na Paknam explored more than 100 ancient temples in Thon Buri in 1970.
In 1522, King Chai Rachathirat of Ayutthaya Kingdom had an area at the narrowest point of the Chao Phraya River dug to facilitate water transport. The original part of the Chao Phraya River became narrower and has been called the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals. Part of the old river called Klong Chak Phra flows through the Taling Chan and Bangkok Noi areas.
Other must-sees by the Bangkok Noi Canal include Wat Suwannaram Ratchaworawihan, the century-old Wat Thong Market and Ban Bu Community, the country’s only source of the ancient art of making khan long hin (stone-polished bronze ware).
Wat Suwannaram was built during the Ayutthaya period and was formerly called Wat Thong. Its ancient boat-shaped ubosot (ordination hall) is famous for its beautiful gable and mural paintings. Visitors should not miss the tak bart thewo ceremony around October on the final day of three-month Buddhist Lent when locals offer food, especially khao tom look yone (a glutinous rice snack wrapped in banana leaf ), to monks as they walk out of the ubosot. In all, areas by Bangkok Noi Canal have a lot of cultural and religious attractions for visitors to explore and cherish. Visit www.watpachoenglane.com.