Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha
The Buddha's physician, Shivaka Kumar Baccha
Phra Si Rattana Chedi, a Sri Lankan style stupa which supposedly houses a piece of the Buddha's breastbone
Phra Mondop, or library of palm leaf scriptures
Royal Pantheon where the king honors statues of his forebears on Chakri Day in early April
Snake like beings called nagas - Garuda is its predator in Hinduism, and in Buddhism they can be protectors of the Buddha like here
Seval is the noble red rooster who heralds each dawn, calling all to awake and arise. He is a symbol of the imminence of spiritual unfoldment and wisdom. (via about.com)
Hanuman - a Hindu deity (and general of the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest inhabitants) who is devoted to help Rama, hero of the Sanskrit epic Ramanaya, against the demon king Ravana
The entrance to the temple of the Emerald Buddha - couldn't take pictures inside but the Buddha is carved from jadeite and is dress by the king or Crown Prince in seasonally appropriate clothes (right now it's the rainy season)
Garuda, a large bird creature in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. In Thailand, a form of the garuda is a symbol of the Thai royal family, and in Hinduism, he is the vehicle or mount of the god Vishnu.
The Grand Palace - built in Renaissance style by an Englishman in 1903, but was asked to add Thai style roof
Flowers used as gifts for the Buddha in temples
My first tuk tuk ride!
Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn
Wat Kalayanamit - temple houses Thailand's largest indoor sitting Buddha and biggest bell
Wat Pro, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Some of the 99 stupas (nine is a lucky number in Thai)
The Reclining Buddha, showing him in the posture of entering nirvana
The Buddha is 151 ft long!
Part of the mother of pearl inlay in the Buddha's feet - 108 auspicious signs are depicted
These statues were used as weight on junks coming from China and other countries, then dropped off at their final destination
Garden at Jim Thompson's house. Thompson was an American architect who settled in Bangkok after WWII, and is known for revitalizing the Thai silk industry.
A statue of Buddha with head and arms cut off
A Burmese man wooden sculpture, one of many artifacts Thompson brought back from his travels around S.E. Asia
Small temple to keep the bad spirits away, located outside most buildings here
Art outside the Bangkok Art and Culture Center
Tuks tuks
Wat Pathumwanaram, under restoration but houses the ashes of an ancient member of the royal family
As you can see, it is right next to an IMAX and aquarium!
More nagas, the snake creatures
Central World, one of the buildings burnt in the protests earlier this year
Erawan Hindu Shrine - built to displace spirits who were annoyed at the building of the Erawan Hotel built next door in 1956
Offerings to Brahma
You will recognize this from my blog - Erawan was the elephant mount of Indra, king of the gods in Hindu
It's amazing how the temple, the burned building and daily life collide here
A man preparing a drum to be played with costume dancers
Dancers ready to perform - pilgrims pay them to dance to offer homage for wishes granted
Pilgrims who payed dancers for homage to Brahma
Birds outside the temple
