Wat Saket (วัดสระเกศ)

Thai. Temple in Bangkok on the artificial mount Phu Khao Thong or ‘Golden Mount’ (fig.). The hill was created after a large chedi, still under construction by Rama III, collapsed due to the soft soil beneath. The hill of sand and brick that arose was left until Rama IV had a small chedi built on its peak. Later Rama V made restorations and added to the structure by placing a relic of the Buddha from India, given to him by the British government, in the chedi. To prevent erosion the hill was cast with a surrounding concrete covering during WW II. The temple mount is 77 meters tall (fig.) and was in the Rattanakosin Period the highest place in the city and considered the navel of the capital. Even today, it still offers a good view over the area with its low-rise buildings (fig.) that are now dwarfed by the many skyscrapers in the distant. In 1820, during the reign of King Rama II (fig.), cholera had spread from Penang (fig.) to Bangkok, and claimed around 30,000 lives. At the time, it was common practice to transport the bodies of the dead outside the old city for cremation and the gate used for this purpose was located close to the spot where Wat Saket was later built. Unable to cope with the large number of dead, some bodies had to be left in the open as they could not be cremated or buried in time. This attracted vultures who came to devour the dead bodies (fig.). The epidemic lasted for six decades and returned annually with every dry season. There was another severe outbreak in 1849, during the reign of King Rama III, when one out of ten of all citizens of Bangkok and the surrounding areas died of the disease, and it wasn't contained until after yet another major outbreak in 1881, during the reign of King Rama V. With hundreds of people dying every day and corpses piling up, Wat Saket was full of vultures, perching on tree branches, the temple walls and even on the monk's kutis. The vultures would open their wings and compete with each other for meals, creating a gruesome scene, akin to Tibetan sky burials in which corpses are chopped up and left to be picked clean by vultures, who in this way are believed to take the dead to Heaven. Since monks often meditate on death, the highly revered monk Luang Poo Toh Phrommaramsih (fig.), i.e. Somdet Phra Phutthajaan (fig.) of Wat Rakhang (fig.), came to this sky burial ground to observe the sight in order to meditate on the impermanent nature of existence. The history of the Vultures of Wat Saket is today remembered with a display at the base of the temple (map - fig.), adjacent to a small mondop that contains a Buddhapada (map - fig.). The temple is one of the few throughout Thailand conferred with the highest royal title of Rajavora Maha Vihaan. Its full name is Wat Saket Rajavora Maha Vihaan and it is depicted on two baht coins, initially issued in 2005 (fig.). In addition, it is portrayed on several postage stamps, including a 2004 joint issue with Italy (fig.). See MAP. 回