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Article / Temple/ A Temple And A Giant Swing |
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Article by: Somkid ( 29-01-2008 ) |
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Double the fun and save some time by checking out two of Bangkok’s historic landmarks all in one shot. I’m talking about the famous Giant Swing and Wat Suthat, a grade A royal temple and one of the six royal temples in Bangkok. These two attractions are located on Bumrung Muang Road, where the giant swing is right across the street from the temple’s entrance. What’s the deal with the swing?... The Giant Swing, or “Sao Ching Cha” as it’s called in Thai was first constructed in 1784 by the Thai king, Rama I. It was used in a ceremony to reenact the Hindu epic of Shiva’s decent to Earth right after it was created by Brahma. The reenactment involved some guys tying themselves to the swing and then swinging as high as possible to grab a bag filled with money using their teeth, which was tied on top of the pillars (the money bag). You can imagine the accidents that occurred. It was probably more like an epic tumble to Earth since the practice was banned in 1935 due to tragic accidents. Though the practice was banned, the Giant Swing remains and it was in fact recently renovated in 2006. A royal ceremony was held and presided over by HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej himself in September 2007 for its grand re-opening. So you can tell how important this landmark is to Thailand’s history and culture. It’s definitely worth a visit s to snap some pictures and tell your friends “I’ve been there!”
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Wat Suthat is right across the street as mentioned. A one word description of this temple is simply “beautiful”, that’s all I gotta say. The temple’s construction was started in 1807 by the first king of the current Chakri dynasty, Rama I and finished in 1847 by Rama III, that’s 40 years to build a temple! You can imagine the amount of details and planning that was involved. The main Buddha image is called “Phra Si Sakyamuni”, which has the honor of being the oldest and largest bronze Buddha statue in all of Thailand! The image is 8 meters in height and 6.25 meters wide. This Buddha image is considered to be very sacred and you’ll see many local there lighting candles and burning incense in paying homage to lord Buddha, some even go there to meditate in the presence of this Buddha image. |
You too can go there to meditate and pray for whatever their heart desires or to just to take pictures. Have fun and share your Thai Xperience with us in our Forum!
Admissions Fee:
20 Baht/person.
Hours:
8:30 AM – 8:30 PM (Daily)
Beware! :
Don’t believe anyone that tells you the temple is closed (due to whatever reasons) and try to get you to another temple. This is a setup for the infamous Gem scam that has ruined the vacation of many tourists. |
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