﻿244 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  A 
  RI;STJNG-PI,ACJ.v 
  UNDER 
  A 
  MIGHTY 
  TREE 
  

   IN 
  THiv 
  FORESTS 
  OF 
  WESTERN 
  SIAM 
  

  

  Note 
  the 
  gigantic 
  vine 
  which 
  entwines 
  the 
  

  

  trunk 
  

  

  gun 
  by 
  Phra 
  Puttha 
  Yot 
  Fa 
  Chulalok 
  ''as 
  

   a 
  temple 
  for 
  the 
  Emerald 
  Buddha, 
  the 
  

   Palladium 
  of 
  the 
  capital, 
  for 
  the 
  glory 
  of 
  

   the 
  king 
  and 
  as 
  an 
  especial 
  work 
  of 
  royal 
  

   piety," 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  1785. 
  It 
  remained 
  in 
  

   an 
  unfinished 
  condition 
  until 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  

   King 
  Chulalongkorn, 
  who 
  made 
  a 
  vow 
  on 
  

   December 
  23, 
  1879, 
  to 
  complete 
  the 
  wat. 
  

   It 
  was 
  during 
  the 
  celebration 
  of 
  the 
  Si- 
  

   amese 
  Centenary 
  that 
  the 
  wat 
  was 
  dedi- 
  

   cated, 
  on 
  April 
  21, 
  1882. 
  All 
  expenses 
  

   connected 
  with 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  the 
  wat 
  

   were 
  borne 
  by 
  the 
  privy 
  purse 
  of 
  the 
  king 
  

   and 
  funds 
  left 
  by 
  King 
  Phra 
  Nang 
  Klao 
  

   for 
  that 
  purpose. 
  

  

  To 
  go 
  into 
  detail 
  describing 
  the 
  glories 
  

   of 
  this 
  wat 
  would 
  take 
  many 
  pages 
  ; 
  

   suffice 
  it 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  its 
  tile 
  roof 
  is 
  of 
  

   Chinese 
  yellow 
  bordered 
  with 
  indigo 
  blue 
  ; 
  

   that 
  the 
  columns 
  are 
  mosaic 
  and 
  its 
  heavy 
  

   doors 
  of 
  carved 
  wood. 
  The 
  center 
  of 
  

   interest 
  is 
  its 
  sacred 
  image, 
  the 
  "Emerald 
  

   Buddha," 
  a 
  green 
  jade 
  figure 
  which 
  sits 
  

   enthroned 
  under 
  many 
  golden 
  umbrellas, 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  praying 
  devas 
  (see 
  page 
  

   247). 
  The 
  image 
  was 
  unearthed 
  in 
  

   1436, 
  at 
  Kiang 
  Hai, 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  Bang- 
  

   kok, 
  whence 
  it 
  was 
  once 
  stolen 
  by 
  invad- 
  

   ing 
  Cambodians, 
  but 
  was 
  recovered 
  by 
  a 
  

   victorious 
  Siamese 
  army. 
  

  

  The 
  mural 
  decorations 
  of 
  the 
  temple 
  

   are 
  exquisite. 
  The 
  floor 
  is 
  of 
  tessellated 
  

   brass, 
  and 
  the 
  walls 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  

   frescoes. 
  Surrounding 
  the 
  gilded 
  and 
  

   carved 
  altar 
  are 
  innumerable 
  offerings 
  

   which 
  remind 
  one 
  very 
  much 
  of 
  those 
  

   found 
  in 
  old 
  Christian 
  churches 
  renowned 
  

   for 
  miraculous 
  healings. 
  

  

  Various 
  buildings 
  are 
  included 
  under 
  

   the 
  name 
  Wat 
  Phra 
  Keo, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  

   heavily 
  gilded 
  prachedi, 
  the 
  Sri 
  Ratana, 
  

   whose 
  golden 
  tiles 
  were 
  manufactured 
  in 
  

   Germany 
  at 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  H. 
  R. 
  H. 
  Krom 
  

   Mun 
  Aditson 
  Udom 
  Det. 
  Weird 
  guards 
  

   watch 
  before 
  temple 
  gates 
  (see 
  page 
  246) 
  ; 
  

   beautiful 
  trees 
  are 
  artistically 
  placed 
  in 
  

   Chinese 
  pots, 
  and 
  Confucius 
  and 
  Laotse 
  

   have 
  places 
  of 
  honor. 
  

  

  KORAT, 
  THE 
  HOME 
  OF 
  

   TREE 
  

  

  THE 
  MATKRABAO 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  newest 
  Bangkok 
  temples 
  is 
  

   found 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  the 
  royal 
  audience 
  

   hall 
  and 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  Wat 
  Benchama 
  

   Bopit 
  (see 
  page 
  250). 
  It 
  is 
  beautifully 
  

   laid 
  out 
  and 
  the 
  grounds 
  are 
  planted 
  with 
  

  

  

  