What Would Bangkok, Thailand Be Without Its "Wats"
What is a "Wat"? A Buddhist Temple in Thailand. There are over 300,000 Wats and aren't only a place of worship but an important part of the community in small villages. Beside "Wats", there are Bots, Wihan, Chedis, Prang and Mondops. A short definition of each:
Bot - is the most sacred structure in a Wat and used by monks for religious ceremonies, teaching and meditation.
Wihan - is a secondary assembly hall.
Chedi - is a monument designed to hold sacred Buddha relics.
Prang - is a soaring tower resembling Khmer temples.
Mondop - is a square shaped building that also stores sacred relics.
Now you know what I have learned and seem to keep forgetting. There is one important "no-no" in Buddhism that I never forget. Women, no physical contact with a monk no matter how old you are. No touchie.... not even accidental touchie...
From Khao San Road, a short walk into another area across the main road with even more budget guesthouses (a little quieter than Khao San) and Wat Chnasongkhram. Purely by accident, we heard chanting from a block away and wandered inside the Wat to see what was happening. A Buddhist ceremony was taking place (why or what for, who knows) with special people sitting in chairs before the chanting monks while others sat outside the main area making their devotions.
It's not only spine-tingling but engrossing listening to the chanting and watching the people. The Buddhist nuns were outside the Bot preparing food for the honored guests. Altogether a fitting ending to the day. Very tired, we dragged back to the Best Western Swana and crashed. Had to be up at 5:00 am tomorrow for the ride back to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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