Reclining Buddha temple (Wat Chayamangkalaram), Penang

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Wat Chayamangkalaram is a Thai Temple which was built in 1845 on the land granded by Queen Victoria. The Temple has one of the largest Reclining Buddha in the world. The Statue is Gold plated and measuring 33 meters in length

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Wat Chayamangkalaram is a Thai Temple which was built in 1845 on the land granded by Queen Victoria. The Temple has one of the largest Reclining Buddha in the world. The Statue is Gold plated and measuring 33 meters in length

Not advisable to engage the monks in this temple. They are very demanding and materialistic. I thought monks are not even allowed to accept red packets but despite that they demanded more via their assistants. That's breaking one of their precepts. So be careful when you go to this temple. Never engage the monks.

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A fascinating temple well worth a visit, as usual the detail in the architecture is great , the size of the statue is unbelievable. These places are all free entry but do rely on donations. Here you can buy books for whatever you like to donate.

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This colourful Thai temple is situated across the road from the Burmese temple. It's open daily and the admission is free.

The temple grounds contain many shrines along with brightly coloured statues of Devas and other mythical creatures. Inside the main pagoda you'll find a gold-plated statue of the Reclining Buddha. Behind the statue are many urns containing the ashes of devotees.

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This is another impressive Temple that we visited which had GOLD, GOLD, GOLD!

and............... THE 14th LARGEST RECLINING BUDDHA IN THE WORLD!

This Thai temple was built in 1845 by a Buddhist monk, who came from Thailand.

As you enter, probably the 1st thing you notice is the two guards with two mythical dragon-headed serpents at their feet. Heading inside, and here is the 33metre gold-plated reclining Buddha. With a peaceful, smiling face, this Buddha lies on his right side with his head resting in the palm of his right hand.
The reclining Buddha represents the historical Buddha at his death. It is said that the Buddha knew death was approaching, and asked his disciples to prepare a couch for him in a grove!

Go for a walk behind the Buddha, as here are a lot of niches that contain the ashes of the devotees.

You are allowed to take photo's
Please take off your shoes before entering the Temple.

OPEN...6.00am till 5.30pm

FREE

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Wat Chaiyamangkalaran temple has a unique blend of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architectural designs and was built in the 19th century and declared open in 1956 by Thai King Bhumipol Ayudayej. Inside the temple lies the 3rd largest Reclining Buddha in the world measuring 33 meters. Behind the gold-foil wrapped Buddha stand 12 idols, each representing an animal in the Chinese zodiac.

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Within the Ubosot which means "ordination hall" in the Thai language lies the reclining Buddha, a comparable image to the one in Wat Pho, Bangkok and no less ornate. Behind the reclining Buddha are numerous funerary niches occupied by ashes of the departed and anteriorly as seen in the photo are individual altars to other smaller images of the Buddha at various poses.

This Buddhist temple of Thai architecture houses a magnificent gold-plated reclining Buddha that is said to be the third largest in the world.

Behind the temple is a small Thai village and a Thai cemetery. The local Thais celebrate the traditional Buddhist festivals -- the Sonkran and the Loy Krathong -- at Wat Chayamangkalaram. The niches behind the statue hold urns containing the ashes of devotees.

Admission to the temple is free.

The reclining Buddha represents Shakyamuni Buddha at his death. It is said that the Buddha knew death was approaching, and asked his disciples to prepare a couch for him in a grove. He lay there, reclining on his right side, facing west, with his head supported by his hand, as he passed into nirvana.

The statue of the Reclining Buddha is not supposed to evoke sadness, but rather encouragement that all beings have the potential to become enlightened and attain release from the sufferings which characterize the cycle of rebirth. The reclining Buddha's serene, composed, and restful demeanor (he is actually slightly smiling) a reminder of the serenity that comes with enlightenment.

The Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the Sakya tribe of Nepal, in approximately 566 BC. When he was twenty-nine years old, he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him.
After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned the way of self-mortification and instead sat in mindful meditation beneath a bodhi tree.
On the full moon of May, with the rising of the morning star, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha, the enlightened one.

The Buddha wandered the plains of northeastern India for 45 years more, teaching the path or Dharma he had realized in that moment. Around him developed a community or Sangha of monks and, later, nuns, drawn from every tribe and caste, devoted to practicing this path. In approximately 486 BC, at the age of 80, the Buddha died.


His last words are said to be...

Impermanent are all created things;
Strive on with awareness.