Bangkok Trip 2014 - Outer Court of Grand Palace

At the Outer Court of the Grand Palace, there are 3 important sets of buildings, namely the Phra Maha Monthien group, Chakri Maha Prasat and Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat.

According to the guide, Phra Maha Monthien group is where some of the most important ceremonial occasions are held. One of it is the Coronation of King. It is still customary for new kings to spend at least one night here after their coronation.

Phra Maha Monthien group

Chakri Maha Prasat is the only building in the Grand Palace with western style. Grand lunch and dinners are held in Chakri Maha Prasat. At the base of the building, there are royal guards guarding the building. Too bad I went on a Sunday and certain parts of the building is closed.

Chakri Maha Prasat

However, I managed to take a photo of a royal guard on duty. This lucky guard gets to be in the shade while others are standing under the scorching sun.

Royal Guard

The cruciform Dusit Maha Prasat throne hall was built by Rama I in 1790. The north face has a porch with a type of throne known as a busabok used by the king when giving public audiences. The building is one of the least altered and most elegant public buildings of the center court. Although the building has been used as a residence and audience hall, its primary purpose which survives to this day is as the lying-in-state place for kings, queens and favored members of the royal family.

The throne hall is open to the public on weekdays only. Inside you can see a large mother-of-pearl throne set just off the very center of the hall. To your left as you look at the throne is a large mother-of-pearl bed used for relaxing between audiences. Off to the west side of the throne hall is a small sort of garden which represents Mount Krailas. The garden was once the site of the royal tonsure ceremony, when boys had their heads shaved for the first time. This was also generally the time when boys had to leave the inner palace, since no man other than the king was allowed to live there.
Extracted from bangkokforvisitors.com/ »

Phra Thinang Dusit Maha Prasat

This concludes the Grand Palace tour. Do visit the Grand Palace when you're in Thailand folks! Kapun Krap (thank you)!

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Mythical Creatures of Grand Palace

We have seen quite a number of Mythical Creatures in previous posts. Have you wonder what are them?

I've did some digging and brief reading regarding on them. I doubt so of the information is accurate but anyways, here's what I had found.

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The Yaksha

The Yaksha takes the shape of a grimacing giant statue often sporting brightly coloured faces. They tower above the entrances to temple compounds of which many superb examples can be seen at the Grand Palace Complex and at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Extracted from luxury-thailand-travel.com »

Yaksha

Panorn Maruek

Panorn Maruek - This mythical creature is said to have begun simply as a monkey, but the passage of time and the re-telling of stories gradually changed him into what you see here. The female version of this animal has the name: "Panorn Maruekkee". The linguistic origins of the second word in its name suggest a deer like creature native to the forest or jungle. Sometimes it is drawn with lion-like claws, although its upper body still retains the original monkey form.
Extracted from chiangmai-chiangrai.com »

Panorn Maruek

Naga

The Naga, or king snake, with its beard and pointed crown, is the half-brother of the garuda. Base on mythology, the two had the same father and their mothers were sisters. There is only one garuda, but there are one thousand nagas, all sworn enemies of the snake-eating half-brother. In many northern Thai temple stairway the handrails depict the great Naga, the many-headed bearded serpent with its pointed crown. The Naga is often found in Thai architecture and also frequently portrayed giving comfort and shade to the meditating Buddha, the coils of the great snake acting as a cushion while the many heads function as an umbrella.
Extracted from chiangmai-chiangrai.com »

Naga

Garuda

The most important of the animals of the Himapan forest is probably the Garuda, with the head, wings, tail and lower body of an eagle, and the upper body and arms of man. This was the king of the birds and the mount of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Traditionally the Thais believe that their kings are incarnations of Vishnu and the Garuda has come to represent the King of Thailand. It is used as a symbol of the monarchy or of the government itself, appears on Thai bank notes and on the royal flag, which is flown only in the presence of the His Majesty.
Extracted from chiangmai-chiangrai.com »

Garuda

The Singha figurehead is a type of temple guardian accredited to one of the mythical creatures known throughout Thailand. They are depicted as half-man and half-lion. Some sit atop gateposts while many others tend to guard temple entrances. You'll find that the marble temple of Wat Benchamabophit in Bangkok city has a number of these large beasts gracing the compound. Smaller specimens can be seen on the grounds of the Grand Palace including Wat Phra Kaew.

The name is believed to have originated from the Hindu word Singh which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word Simha which means lion. In western astrology, it can be viewed in the same context as the zodiac sign of Leo. The final syllable is marked as silent. Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan form of communication as well as being the primary liturgical language of both Hinduism and Buddhism.

Singha is also the name used for a popular local brand of beer. It is frequently used as place names and for the name of the Thai solar calendar month of August. The latter for which the "ha" is pronounced.
Extracted from luxury-thailand-travel.com »

Singha

Kinnari

The Kinnari is one of the loveliest of the mythology beings, a beautiful half-woman, half swan, with the head and torso of a woman yet below the delicately tapered waist she has the body, tail and legs of a swan. She also has both human arms and the wings of a swan. While the Kinnari has a male counterpart (the Kinnara) and is similar in form, it is less beloved by Thai artists. The Kinnari is renowned for her excellence in song and dance and her graceful form is often seen in sculpture and temple murals.
Extracted from chiangmai-chiangrai.com »

Kinnari

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - More Great Stuff About the Grand Palace Tour

Continuing on the Grand Palace Tour, more buddhas, mythical creatures and beautiful structures.

I forgot to mention one important point. The people of Thailand are strongly against the use of buddha for tattoos. They sees it as a disrespect to the buddha. So folks be extra careful and hide it well if you happen to have one.

The Stone Buddha

Cameras are not allowed inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Therefore, I could only get a picture of the stone buddha outside of the temple. The Emerald Buddha too has his costumes. There are 3 costumes to be wore at different times of the year, namely, Summer, Rainy Season and Winter. I was also told that the Emerald Buddha was moved here into the Grand Palace and was previously placed at Wat Arun.
Photo taken from donlehmanjr.com »

Costumes of the Emerald Buddha

Like Christians, the buddhist in Thailand also goes to temples and pray on Sundays. I happened to witness the prayer hall at Grand Palace. The hall is cordoned off and strictly for prayers only. The hall was filled with prayers chanting the sutras. Magically, the tune sort of calms me down and I felt more relaxed temporarily.

Prayer Hall

Lotus Flower

Here are more beautiful structures and creatures in the Grand Palace. Enjoy the photos folks!

Garudas

Singha

Clock Tower

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Bangkok Trip 2014 - Grand Palace Tour

Grand Palace is a must-see attraction in Bangkok. It is filled with religion, history and beautiful architectures.

I continued my tour from Tha Thien Pier to the Grand Palace. I missed my boat and gotten information that I could take a 10-15mins walk to Grand Palace. I walked for almost 25mins before reaching the entrance of Grand Palace.

The ticket cost 400 Baht. Do take note that you have to be proper dressed; No slippers, shorts, singlets. Do sign up for the free tour so that you can learn the history and story of Grand Palace. The guide goes on and talked about the tale of Ramakien.
If you're interested in the tale click here »

Giant Yakshas

Grand Palace has 3 courts. The Outer Court, Middle Court and Inner Court. I forgot which part of the court that I did not visit due to it being the weekends or is not open to public except special days.

Next, the guide explained that the demon face creatures are Giant Yaksha. They are guardians of the temple and they keep away evil spirits. Giant Yakshas are iconic figures in Thailand. You can catch a pair at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Phra Siratana Chedi

King Rama IV constructed Phra Siratana Chedi in 1855. The interior of the stupas contains sacred buddha relics. King Rama V had the exterior covered with golden mosaic tiles imported from Italy.

24 Carat Gold Tiles

I was told the tiles are made from real 24 Carat Gold. When the tiles get damaged, they need to order them from Italy. I was wondering how much one piece of tile cost?

Phra Mondop

King Rama I built Phra Mondop (The Library). The library houses an elegantly carved Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases with the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts). The library is guarded by twos pair of demons on each side.

Prasat Phra Thep Bidon

The Royal Pantheon was constructed during the reign of King Rama IV in 1855. He intended to place the Emerald Buddha here but the building was not completed until after his death. His successor, King Rama V, considered the building too small to accommodate the congregation at royal ceremonies so the Emerald Buddha was not placed in this building. A small gilt stupa belonging to King Rama IV was placed there instead.
Extracted from: bangkokmag.infothai

Chinese Style Temple

Cambodia Style Temple

The building inside Grand Palace contains a few styles. They have Chinese style, Cambodia style and of course Thai style buildings. One of the Thai style building is the Phra Mondop.

Mythical Creatures

Next off, there are a number of mythical creatures in Thailand. In the Grand Palace alone, I've seen quite a few of them. Usually they take on parts of animal and human. They are also those that take on two different kinds of animals.

More Mythical Creatures

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The Story: The central character of the Ramakien is Rama, heir to the throne of Ayodhaya. Through the schemes of his stepmother, he is sent into exile for 14 years. His wife Sita and brother Lakshman go with him. They find shelter deep in the forest. Tosakan, the demon king of Longka, develops a passion for Sita and kidnaps her. The brothers go in search of Sita, and enlist the white monkey god Hanuman to help. Working together, they form an alliance with two monkey kings, Sukrip and Chompupan, each of whom command huge armies. They march south to the coast and lay siege to the island of Longka. You can take it with you. Wish you could have this information with you when you visit the Grand Palace? Now you can. Check out our Bangkok Essentials ebook. The armies of Rama are victorious over each of Tosakan's champions. Finally, Rama fights Tosakan and kills him. Rama crowns Tosakan's exiled brother king of Longka and returns to Ayodhaya with Sita to assume the crown.

Extracted from: bangkokforvisitors

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