PM Narendra Modi is expected to visit the Wat Pho inThailand, officially known as Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan, has a rich history dating back to the 16th century. Originally called Wat Phodharam, it was established as a monastery during the late Ayutthaya period. In 1788, King Rama I restored the temple after founding Bangkok as the new capital and constructing the Grand Palace next door.
Much of the temple’s current structure dates to 1832, during the reign of King Rama III, who significantly expanded Wat Pho, including the South Vihara and the West Vihara, where the Reclining Buddha resides. Completed in 1848, the Reclining Buddha remains the largest in Bangkok, crafted from a brick core covered in plaster and adorned with gold leaf.
King Rama III also transformed Wat Pho into Bangkok’s first public university, commissioning over 1,000 Buddha depictions and various sculptures and artworks to educate the public on history, literature, and Buddhism. Between 1831 and 1841, he and Thai scholars inscribed 1,431 stone tablets to preserve cultural knowledge, including traditional Thai medicine and massage. This legacy continues today, as Wat Pho remains Thailand’s national center for the teaching of traditional Thai massage.
The temple underwent its most recent restoration in 1982, in preparation for the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebration.