The Junk Vessel with Adorned Pagodas

King Nangklao gave orders to build it.

It is made of bricks and stucco.

The junk is made of bricks and stucco and similar to a Teochew junk. The bow is facing south to Chao Phraya River. The stern is facing north. The room on the stern enshrines the Buddha image and the Buddha footprint. A large adorned pagoda is enshrined in the middle and another small adorned pagoda is enshrined at the bow. The design of the adorned pagodas is composed of a set of three lion-footed bases with Bua Klum (a group of lotus petal) under the in bell-shaped part. The spire part is composed of a group of lotus petal vine, the tapering finial, and the topmost orb. An adorned pagoda is a style which was evident since the late Ayutthaya and was very popular in King Rama III period.

King Nangklao gave orders to build the Yannawa junk vessel at the back of Ubosot of Wat Khok Krabue along with the picture of Vessantara Bodhisattvas, Kanha, and Jali. There is also an inscription in the small room at the back of the junk which indicates the true faith in building it. He had mentioned that many different pagoda styles were built already and at the moment there began more use of steamboats like the westerners because it was more efficient than a Chinese junk, hence the Chinese junks would no longer be used shortly in the future. King Rama III then gave orders to build the adorned pagodas (indented-corner pagodas with special features and other decorations such as stuccos) on a real-size Chinese junk base as a memorial for the next generation. He also reminisced about the virtue of Vessantara Bodhisattvas which was like a junk that carried the obedient people to get over cycle of birth and death as metaphorized in the Vessantara Jataka in the chapter of giving the children away. Hence, this is the reason that the principal pagoda in Wat Yannawa have special features different from other temples and it was the origin of the temple name as well Wat Yannawa.

สุริยา รัตนกุล, คุณหญิง. พระอารามหลวงในกรุงเทพมหานคร. นครปฐม : มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล, 2550-2552.