Wat Benjamabophit - Ubosot Compound - Bangkok visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Wat Benjamabophit - Ubosot Compound' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Central Thailand.

Wat Benjamabophit (The Marble Temple) contains a fusion of classical Thai and some European building elements. It was commissioned by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and influenced by his first visit to Europe at the end of the 1800's.

The temple is faced with white Carrara marble, making it unique in Bangkok. The clarity of the marble offsets the other colours of the buildings making the whole stand out dramatically. Other unique features include round columns at the front of the building and that the roof has four tieres roof instead of the usual 2 or 3.

The king instructed that the Wat maintain a collection of Buddha images from around Asia, and 53 bronze Buddha statues are on display under the colonnade that surrounds the ubosot courtyard. These form a unique collection of different styles of Buddha images from Asia.

The almsgiving at Wat Benjamabophit is different to that at other temples. Here the monks do not go out into the streets but wait at the temple for people to come and give the offerings. This happens between about 6am and 7:30am daily.

The steps up to the ubosot are guarded by two Burmese stone lions visible here. A second set guard the front of the Marble Temple. Wat Benjamabophit's bot is cruciform instead of the usual 'I' shape. The Buddha image of the Marble Temple is housed at the junction within the ubosot, entrance is via one of the arms when the main entrance is closed.

Inside the ubosot of Wat Benjamabophit highly decorated and contains bronze replica of the Phra Buddha Chinnarat image found in the city of Phitsanulok in Northern Thailand. The grounds of Wat Benjamabophit contain a canal in which turtles live.

Wat Benjamabophit is on Thanon Sri Ayutthaya, close to the Statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), Chitrlada Palace, Dusit Zoo and the Royal Turf Club.

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