Temples pagodas wat monasteries
are plenty in all Buddhist country of south East Asia.
In Thailand they are
called Wat e.g. Wat Chalong is one of the most popular in
Phuket (just
2 minutes drive north of the Chalong circle).
The Chalong Temple ( Wat
Chalong) is one of the most venerated in Southern Thailand and in
particular in Phuket.
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Everyday people come
from several hours drive radius to the Wat Chalong to pray and hope for good
luck afterwards. They bang
fireworks into the brick "oven" to get the attention of the ghosts.
Interestingly the most of the prayer are to get a win in the lottery.
Some sculptures of the former abbots are in a very beautiful adjacent
teak building with rich carvings, especially the doors, many come to
pray in front of the sculptures - picture below-.
The
Temple layout has its origins
in the caves used by Buddhist of the
very early days in India.
The
hollow structure allows the visitor
to enter. With the time and the
emergence of different building
techniques the layout grew more
sophisticated spreading out into
chambers and passageways.
Pagoda or Stupas are solid
structures, the layout is usually a square or five sided.
Enshrined are sacred relics or a particular
potent image or figure of the Buddha, scriptures and / or precious
items.
The structure is terraced, three or five
times, with a bell shaped top.
The terraces indicate the slopes of the
cosmic mountain Mt. Meru, the abode of Hindu gods. The stupa is a symbol
of the Buddha and naturally functions as a protective structure for the
relicts.
Temples pagodas wat monasteries
Thailand
are usually buildings of very good quality.
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picture,
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