Wat Arun
View of Wat Arun Complex
Wat Arun Location within Bangkok 13°45′5″N 100°29′34″E / 13.75139°N 100.49278°E / 13.75139; 100.49278
Information
Denomination	Theravada Buddhism
Founded	19th Century
Founder(s)	King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I)
Country	Thailand
Coordinates	Coordinates: 13°44′38″N 100°29′19″E / 13.74389°N 100.48861°E / 13.74389; 100.48861
Portal:Buddhism

Wat Arun Rajwararam (Thai: วัดอรุณ, Thai pronunciation: [wát ʔarun], "Temple of the Dawn") is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand, on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River. The full name of the temple is Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan (วัดอรุณราชวรารามราชวรมหาวิหาร). Named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn, the Wat Arun is considered one of the most well known of Thailand's many landmarks. Drawn on a novel by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima (The Temple of Dawn-The Sea of Fertility). The temple is so named because the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with pearly iridescence.^[1] The monastery has existed for many years since the days when Ayutthaya was capital of Thailand. At the time named Wat Mokok, situated in a place called Tumbol Bangmakok. The word Bangmakok, meaning " Village of Olive", has since been shortened to "Makok".

History[link]

The temple was originally known as Wat Chaeng. Originally it was located in the palace grounds and during the time of Rama I it moved to the other side of the river.^[1] It was abandoned for a long period of time until Rama II, who restored the temple and extended the pagoda to 70m.^[1] The Wat eshrined the emerald Buddha image before it was transferred to Bangkok in 1785 A.D. and it is believed that King Taksin vowed to restore the Wat after passing it one dawn.^[2]

Architecture[link]

Inner Temple of Wat Arun

The main feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower) which are encrusted with colourful porcelain.^[3] This is interpreted as a stupa-like pagoda incrusted with coloured faience^[4] The height is reported by different sources as between 66.8 m (219 ft) and 86 m (282 ft). The corners are surrounded by four smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China.^[5] The presiding Buddha image, cast in the reign of Rama II, is said to have been moulded by the king himself. The ashes of King Rama II are buried in the base of the image.^[6] Construction of the tall prang and four smaller ones was started by King Rama II during 1809-1824 A.D. and completed by King Rama III (1824–1851). The towers are supported by rows of demons and monkeys. Very steep and narrow steps lead to a balcony high on the central tower. The circumference of the base of the structure is 234 meters, and the central prang is 250 foot high.

The central prang is topped with a seven-pronged trident, referred to by many sources as the "Trident of Shiva".^[7] Around the base of the prangs are various figures of ancient Chinese soldiers and animals. Over the second terrace are four statues of the Hindu god Indra riding on Erawan.^[6] In the Buddhist iconography, the central prang is considered to have three symbolic levels - base for Traiphum indicating all realms of existence, middle for Tavatimsa where all desires are gratified and top denoting Devaphum indicating six heavens within seven realms of happiness.^[6] At the riverside are six pavilions (sala) in Chinese style. The pavilions are made of green granite and contain landing bridges.

Prang of Wat Arun

Next to the prangs is the Ordination Hall with a Niramitr Buddha image supposedly designed by King Rama II. The front entrance of the Ordination Hall has a roof with a central spire, decorated in coloured ceramic and stuccowork sheated in coloured china. There are two demons, or temple guardian figures, in front.^[6] The murals were created during the reign of Rama V.^[6]

Mythology[link]

The central prang symbolizes Mount Meru of the Indian cosmology.^[6] The satellite prangs are devoted to the wind god, Phra Phai. The demons (yaksha) at the entranceway to the ubosot are from the Ramakien. The white figure is named Sahassa Deja and the green one is known as Thotsakan, the Demon Rāvana from Ramayana.

Travel[link]

Most of the tour packages around Bangkok offer a stop at Wat Arun, and it is an easy place to access by public transport. For the foreigners, the temple charges an entrance fee of THB 50 (as of September 2010). Wat Arun figures in one of Thailand's most colorful festival, the Royal Tod Kathin. The King travels down in a procession of Royal barges to present new robes to the monks after their three-month lent period.

Media[link]

Entrance Garden of Wat Arun

Buddha images inside Wat Arun

Short video showing highlights of Wat Arun

The front entrance of the Ordination Hall

Sunset at Wat Arun

Wat Arun temple

Statue in front of Wat Arun

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wat Arun

• Official Website

Coordinates: 13°44′38″N 100°29′19″E / 13.74389°N 100.48861°E / 13.74389; 100.48861

Arun District
—  Non-metropolitan district  —
Arun shown within West Sussex
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South East England
Non-metropolitan county	West Sussex
Status	Non-metropolitan district
Admin HQ	Littlehampton
Incorporated	1 April 1974
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district council
• Body	Arun District Council
• Leadership	Leader & Cabinet (Conservative)
• MPs	Peter Bottomley Nick Gibb Nick Herbert
Area
• Total	85.3 sq mi (221.0 km2)
Area rank	159th (of 326)
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	150,600
• Rank	123rd (of 326)
• Density	1,800/sq mi (680/km2)
• Ethnicity	96.7% White 1.1% S.Asian
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
ONS code	45UC
OS grid reference	TQ029020
Website	www.arun.gov.uk

Arun Civic Centre, Littlehampton

Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. It contains the towns of Arundel, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, and takes its name from the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district.

History[link]

Arun was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, merging the Urban Districts of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, the municipal borough of Arundel and parts of Chichester and Worthing Rural Districts.

Governance[link]

Arun District Council is a non-metropolitan district council formed of 56 councillors from across the following 26 wards:^[1]

The council has been under the control of the Conservative Party since its first election in 1973. The last elections to the council were held on 5 May 2011, the results of which are shown below:

Civil parishes[link]

The following 31 civil parishes are located within the district:^[3]

Geography[link]

Arun District occupies the central southern area of West Sussex, and is bordered by Chichester District to the west, Horsham District to the north and Worthing borough and Adur District to the east. The district is bisected by the River Arun, and is divided between a broad rural area in the north of the district that contains Arundel and a host of small villages, part of which sits within the South Downs National Park, and an urban coastal strip that includes Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Economy[link]

Although set within the typically prosperous county of West Sussex, much of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton are ranked amongst the 20% most deprived areas in the UK as a whole on the Index of Multiple Deprivation.^[4] The district contains a large tourism sector, attracting visitors to the South Downs in the north, and the beaches of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton in the south, the latter of which holds a prestigious Blue Flag Award.^[5] Consequently, the district suffers from high amounts of seasonal employment, with the Office for National Statistics estimating that nearly 11% of the population of Arun is employed in the tourism sector, compared to 8% nationally, whilst 28% of people work in the distribution, hotels and restaurants sector, compared to just 23% nationally. Arun also has a higher number of public sector workers than either the regional or national average, and a significantly smaller finance and IT sector than the rest of the South East and wider UK.

Awards[link]

In 2008, the district council won an Ashden Award for their work on energy efficiency.^[6]

Football clubs[link]

• Arundel F.C.
• Bognor Regis Town F.C.
• Clymping F.C.
• East Preston F.C.
• Littlehampton Town F.C.
• Pagham F.C.
• Rustington F.C.
• Wick F.C.

See also[link]

• List of places of worship in Arun

References[link]

v t e Districts of South East England Berkshire Bracknell Forest Reading Slough West Berkshire Windsor and Maidenhead Wokingham Buckinghamshire Aylesbury Vale Chiltern Milton Keynes South Bucks Wycombe East Sussex Brighton and Hove Eastbourne Hastings Lewes Rother Wealden Hampshire Basingstoke and Deane East Hampshire Eastleigh Fareham Gosport Hart Havant New Forest Portsmouth Rushmoor Southampton Test Valley Winchester Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Kent Ashford Canterbury Dartford Dover Gravesham Maidstone Medway Sevenoaks Shepway Swale Thanet Tonbridge and Malling Tunbridge Wells Oxfordshire Cherwell Oxford South Oxfordshire Vale of White Horse West Oxfordshire Surrey Elmbridge Epsom and Ewell Guildford Mole Valley Reigate and Banstead Runnymede Spelthorne Surrey Heath Tandridge Waverley Woking West Sussex Adur Arun Chichester Crawley Horsham Mid Sussex Worthing

Coordinates: 50°48′29.7″N 0°32′18.6″W / 50.80825°N 0.5385°W / 50.80825; -0.5385