Wooden temple of truth in Pattaya – photo, description, history, Wooden temple on the map
Thailand is a country with its own special way of life, inhabited by hardworking people, famous for their diligence and diligence. It is no coincidence that the wealthy owners of the Rublyovka castles willingly hire Thai women as housekeepers, who are able not only to do housework perfectly, but also to masterfully perform Thai massage, which is popular all over the world. The same qualities are possessed by men, who are distinguished by extraordinary diligence and patience, the ability to create unique souvenirs from natural materials. Only here could a wooden temple appear, which is a truly fabulous structure, reminiscent of a magical carved box, the details of which seem to be made by some unearthly creatures – they are so elegant and intricate!
The history of the construction of the temple
It is the main attraction not only of Pattaya, but of the whole of Thailand and is a real miracle of wooden Khmer architecture. Its construction began in 1981, initiated by the Thai millionaire and philanthropist Lek Viryaphant, who decided to surprise the world with an unusual symbol of worship of the Gods, personifying the Truth. The object under construction was laid on an area of 3200 sq.m. on Cape Laem Ratchavet and was named the Temple of Truth. The customer's requirement was to make a masterpiece out of wood without a single nail, which was not an easy task for the builders, but they tried to use metal nails only in the most dangerous places that affect the stability of a tall structure (105 meters). Later, these nails were also replaced with wooden ones, so as not to spoil the uniqueness of this wonderful creation, which cannot be found anywhere else. Although the curiosity of architecture has long been open to the public, the construction of temple details continues: new elements are added, old ones are updated, stronger woods are used in the restoration, such as teak, which does not rot at all. The basis of the endless artistic and construction work is the postulate of the reincarnation of truth and its continuous development.
Artistic symbols of the Sanctuary
From the outside, it looks like a typical temple building in the style of Kherma architecture: garlands of gabled roofs, crowned with points of carved figures, surround a high central spire, directed to the heavenly heights. Each sculpture, each corner of the holy building has its own philosophical meaning, being a reflection of ancient knowledge and faith.
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From a distance, the outlines of the religious building resemble a sprawling gray spruce, decorated with patterned candles. The close-up view simply amazes with the unreal beauty of wooden structures, each of which is the subject of the highest applied art. Human figures of incredible beauty, columns covered with carved openwork; intricate ornaments decorating the architraves – everything conquers and delights from the first to the last sight.
On the eastern side of the temple, statues of the Father, Mother and four children are carved, symbolizing 4 religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This ensemble is located under an arched vault supported by 4 columns, the beauty of which is impossible to take your eyes off. In front of the sculptural group there is a table covered with a bright oriental tablecloth, intended for laying offerings.
On the four upper spiers there are sculptures symbolizing the picture of the universe: on the 1st there is a sculpture of the Virgin holding a lotus in her hand – the basis of all religions and the core of the universe; on the 2nd – a child in the hands of a deity as a sign of the continuation of life; on the 3rd – a woman with a book in her hand, personifying the philosophical basis of the world; on the 4th – a celestial body with a dove – a symbol of peace. The central spire is crowned with the figure of a horse rider – a Bodhisattva, who became the fifth modern Buddha due to his divine enlightenment.
Thousands of different figures of people and animals, placed on the walls of the sanctuary from the outside, are magnificent monuments of wooden sculpture, designed to tell people about the immortality of religion and imbued with the power of the talent of the creators of this beauty. Only stairs with their steps, many elegant sculptures of various sizes – this is a whole museum of the history of Eastern religion, not to mention the interior of the temple.
Sanctuary interiors
The whole room inside, according to the types of faith, is divided into 4 halls with the corresponding names: Thai, Cambodian, Indian and Chinese.
In Thai, you can admire seven sculptures, each representing a day of the week. Sunday is personified by the most majestic of the statues, decorated with many openwork details.
In Indian there are statues of Krishna in different versions: standing on the head of Naga – a snake-like creature; riding a cow, on a swing, with shepherds demonstrating episodes of his life. Here, in the original version, 4 elements are presented: Earth, Fire, Water and Air.
Cambodian represents family values in the form of statues of parents and a child, to which tourists who are familiar with the legend of their powerful divine power go very willingly: it is worth rubbing a child's hand or a father’s or mother’s knee and asking for health to relatives and close people – the wish will come true.
The Chinese hall is filled with sculptures of the Bodhisattva – a kind of universal Buddha, who expressed the desire to serve all life on Earth and create good for them.
Excursions
Entrance to this miracle of wooden architecture is paid, the cost depends on the type of excursion, offered in several versions, depending on the desire and capabilities of tourists. The road to the Sanctuary passes through picturesque places with colorful, vibrant nature: amazing flowering shrubs, exotic trees and other lush tropical vegetation, surrounding a wooden bridge leading directly to the Temple of Truth.
Twice a day you can enjoy the spectacle of a dance show performed by unusually graceful and flexible Thai girls. The sword fight, which demonstrates the extraordinary dexterity and virtuosity of the athletes, is of great interest to visitors. But the most important thing for everyone is a visit to a Buddhist shrine – a real artistic masterpiece and at the same time a place where you can pray and cleanse your soul.
What else to do in Pattaya? Are there other attractions there? – read on our website.