Wat Yannawa

Wat Yannawa
Wat Yannawa
วัดยานนาวา
	Chinese Junk Chedi (Phra Samphao Chedi) of Wat Yannawa
Religion
Affiliation	Theravada Buddhism
Location
Location	Charoen Krung road Khwaeng Yannawa, Khet Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand
Country	Thailand
	Shown within Bangkok
Geographic coordinates	13°43′02″N 100°30′49″E / 13.7173°N 100.5136°E

Wat Yannawa (Thai: วัดยานนาวา), commonly known in English as "the boat temple", is a Buddhist temple (Wat) in Bangkok on Charoen Krung Road, Sathon district. The temple has a long history from the Ayutthaya era to the present. During the rule of King Rama III, a viharn was built in the shape of a Chinese junk, giving the temple the nickname "the boat temple". This construction inside the temple houses a space where people pray; a nearby ubosot enshrines Buddha images and illustrations of the Loi Prathip Royal Lantern Festival (พระราชพิธีลอยพระประทีป). Additional exterior buildings enshrine a Buddha relic from Sri Lanka and the Goddess of Mercy.

History

The temple was built during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, before the founding of Bangkok.^[1] It was originally called Wat Kok Khwai (วัดคอกควาย) because the community of Dawei people in the area bought and sold buffalo; later, it was renamed as Wat Kok Krabue (วัดคอกกระบือ).^[2]

During the reigh of King Rama I, the temple gained royal status and the ubosot was built.^[2] During the reign of King Rama III, a viharn was built in the shape of a Chinese junk. The temple was renamed as Wat Yannawa, which translates as "the boat temple".^[1] The two chedis on the deck represent masts and the altar at the back represents the wheelhouse. Because of this unique structure, locals call the temple “sampao chedi” ("the Chinese junk with chedis").^[3] King Rama III chose the shape of a junk as a means of historical preservation; he believed the junk was becoming obsolete due to new ship types, and wanted to preserve its image.^[2]

Interior

The "stern" of the ship enshrines four Buddha statues and replica footprints, including Thai and Chinese inscriptions.^[2] The larger chedi has 20 wooden recesses, while the smaller one has 16.^[4] There is also a room dedicated to relics, which some believe to come from Buddha.^[5] The ubosot enshrines the principle of subduing Mara Buddha image^{[clarification needed]} and includes other buddha images.^[2] Interestingly, on the doors and windows are painted images of a yaku jar (โถยาคู), a jar used for offerings in a royal ceremony. On the upper part of the door and back of the room is drawn a big Krathong (กระทง)^{[clarification needed]} in the style of used in the Loi Prathip Royal Lantern Festival (พระราชพิธีลอยพระประทีป). This kind of picture, at this size, is rare in Thailand.^[2]

Exterior

Relic from Sri Lanka

Three statues of the Goddess of Mercy are enshrined in a separate, Chinese-style temple,^[4] and a building^[which?] enshrines a Buddha relic from Sri Lanka.^[6]