Wat Prah Singh

After the market and the temples, Arie and Maya needed to take a break. (Maya was also suffering from jet lag, and desperately needed some sleep.) I felt like there were so many temples to see, that I couldn’t possibly nap. So, I set off to do some exploring on my own. Over the course of a couple of hours, I saw another 4 temples. They were all lovely, but one really knocked my socks off — Wat Prah Singh, which was only a few blocks from our hotel, as it turned out.

Construction of this temple began in 1345 when the King built a “chedi” (which is a large structure — usually gold in color — with a square base and a cone on top that ends with a spire) to house the ashes of his father. A few years later, other structures were added, and in 1367 the statute of the Phra Singh Buddha was added, giving the temple its name. The entire complex fell into disrepair between 1578 and 1774. The first restoration was completed in 1782, and it has been renovated numerous times since then, most recently in 2002. (Unlike an archeological site, which is no longer in daily use, a temple is used constantly so renovations are entirely acceptable and expected.)

The complex consists of a huge chedi, covered in gold, which is surrounded by four, smaller golden chedis. There are also three buildings for prayer which are all elaborately decorated inside and outside. In the largest prayer space there are wax replicas of important monks who lived at Prah Singh. (This is super common at temples, and is meant to honor the monks who have passed.). I was fortunate enough to come to the complex at the height of the afternoon heat, so it was pretty empty. I was so captivated by the beauty of the complex that I found myself finding quiet (and shady) benches upon which to sit while I observed people coming and going, and pondered life. Just a lovely stop in the afternoon.Read more