During the Chinese new year, we visited one of the most popular temple among Thai-Chinese people in Thailand. This temple is called " Wat Phraputthabaat". Every year during the Chinese new year, my family and I always visit this temple. When we arrived, the first thing we did was to eat!
Around the Wat Phraputthabaat temple, there are several vegeterian cafeterias which offer vegetarian foods to the visitors for free. Of course, you can have them for free but usually, people rather donate some money for rice and other foods after the meal. The cafeteria in the picture below was called " Lao-je-tuo" which refers to old vegetarian cafeteria.
The vegetarian meal we had once we arrived to Wat Phraputthabaat temple. On the table, it consisted of fried morning glory, prickles, fried eggplant, fried cabbage, and soup and steam rice and congee.
After finishing the meal, then we continued to pray to each shrines. Thai Chinese people believed that if you come to visit Wat Phraputthabaat every year, you and your whole family will be blessed for the whole year.
After you finished praying at one shrine, then it is important to hit the temple drum 3 times. We believe that hitting the drum 3 times will bring us luck.
Outside the shrines, there are also the area where you can make merits and donations. From the picture, it is the day of birth oil lamp donation. For example, if you born on Monday, you donate some money in exchange with bottle of oil and then you pour the oil around the lamp of your day which defined by the position of the Buddha statue. During the pour, you can pray, wish or ask to be blessed. Usually people ask and wish for the happiness, luck, health, wealth.
During the Chinese new year, lots of golden paper were fold and stacked up like piles of gold. They were ready to be burnt! Chinese people believe that burning the golden paper gold is a way to send the money to their dead ancestors to spend in the heaven.
After we finished praying at one side of the temple, we crossed the street, to pray at another side of the temple. This temple situated, the new vegetarian cafeteria. In Thai-Chinese, eating vegetarian is called "Kin-Jee" , Kin means to eat and Jee means vegetarian.
In the old days, the road transportation was not that convenient like nowadays. Therefore, it took nearly a day from Bangkok to Wat Phraputthabaat. If you left from Bangkok in the morning, you then arrived in the late evening. That's why, there are many free dormitory available for the visitors. The picture below showed the old dormitory. Nowadays, it is still functioning.
Then we crossed to another side of the road to visit the main sanctuary where , according to the belief of Thai people, the Buddha footprint was situated here. According to the history during Ayutthaya, one Thai monk who that time traveled to India, learnt from the Indian monk that there were 5 places where the Buddha footprints were situated and one of the 5 places was in Thailand. Once the Thai monk knew about this. He hurried to tell to the king. According to the old map, the Buddha footprint was located in the
"Suwan banphot" mountain.
After searching for a long time, they found the big Buddha footprint situated on this mountain. Since then, the king ordered to built the temple and the sanctuary to protect the Buddha footprint.
From the picture, at the entrance to the Buddha footprint sanctuary.
The big Buddha footprint, has been covered by gold leaves for many hundred years.
Around the Wat Phraputthabaat, there are rows of hanging bells. People usually use the wooden stick to hit on every bell for their luck and blessing.
Around the temple, there is a local market which usually sell grains, rice, deep fried banana, deep fried taro, garlics, red onions. If you are looking to buy herbs, grains, rice. This is one of the source and cheapest place to buy.
A day visit to Wat phraputthabaat temple is very interesting for culture, history and Buddhism. You see a way of living of Thai-Chinese people. If you are interested in this tour, book the tour with us. Contact info@thailandsecrettour.com , www.thailandsecrettour.com
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