Description of the attraction
The Mahathat Temple is the most important center of Buddhism and Vipassana meditation. It is one of the oldest in Bangkok and was built to house Buddha's relics.
Wat Mahathat is one of the top ten royal temples in Thailand. Its full name, taking into account all the titles, sounds like Wat Mahathat Yuvarajarangsarit Rajavoramahavihara.
The temple was built during the heyday of the Ayutthaya kingdom in the 18th century and was originally called Wat Salak. When the capital was moved to Bangkok, Wat Mahathat took an advantageous position between the Grand Palace and the Central Palace. So royal ceremonies and funerals began to take place there. In 1803 he received the Royal Title and the name Wat Mahathat.
The oldest institution of higher education for Buddhist monks in all of Southeast Asia, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University is located on the grounds of the temple. It is one of the most important educational institutions in the country, divided into a department of social sciences and humanities, an international department and a college.
Wat Mahathat is also known as a school of meditation. Despite the fact that most of the practices take place in it in Thai, special programs in English have been prepared for foreigners.
The Mahathat Temple is famous for its large-scale amulets market, which unfolds outside its walls every Sunday. Amulets, talismans, products of traditional medicine and spells, all of them will find their owner, yearning for happiness and prosperity.
