Wat Ratbophit Sathitmahasimaram

King Rama V had Wat Ratbophit built as his royal temple. The constuction was firstly supervised by Prince Pradit Worakarn, working in the Department of Fine Arts; but Prince Pradit Worakarn passed away before the construction was completed. Thus, Prince Sapphasatsuphakit was the next supervisor, but he then passed away too. The King hence commissioned Chao Praya Thammatikornatibodi.(M.R. Pum Malakul) to build the temple, and the construction was finally completed.

Masonry, wooden roof finials, gilding and glass mosaics

The Ubosot is in Thai traditional style. The masonry building has wooden roof with ceramics tiles. The wall is furnished with five-colored glazed porcelain tiles and deity motifs. The roof structure was built from wood and roofing with ceramics tile and decorated with Thai traditional ornament. The main pediment illustrates a seven headed elephant carrying a pedestal tray with a coronet flanked by tiered-umbrellas held by a lion and a Gajasimha (half elephant and lion). The second pediment depicts Narayana on Garuda

Glided and stucco door and window pediments are in a traditional Thai roof form with decoration. The interior door panels are adorned with lacquer and glided lotus bud or Phum Khao Bin motifs; while the exterior of each door panel illustrates five different first class Royal Decorations, namely the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems, the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri, Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao, Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, and Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand. The interior of the Ubosot was decorated in Neo-Gothic style of the western art, and the Ubosot also enshrines the principal Buddha Image named Phra Phuttha Angkhirot.

The bell-shaped Chedi with round ground plan features a bell-shaped Gharbhaya supported by a multi-tiered flower garland moulding with a five-coloured-glazed porcelain decoration similar to that of the Ubosot’s interior wall. The Chedi is in a galleried-enclosure with a colored-glazed porcelain tiled roof. Round pillars supporting the gallery are made of marble and come with lotus capitals.

Wat Ratbophit was built to the royal order of King Rama V as a royal temple of the King. This temple drew inspiration from Wat Ratchapradit Sathitmahasimaram, the royal temple of King Rama IV. The significant monuments of this temple are Mahachedi surrounded by the gallery, Ubosot, Vihāra and axial Viharn. The ground plan of this temple shows strong influence from the architecture in the reign of King Rama IV. In addition, this temple is also the royal temple of King Rama VII.

The characteritics of the Ubosot are also remarkable. It shows a good combination of Thai traditional art and western art, as well as the finest craftsmanship of decoration such as the exterior wall of the Ubosot adorned with five-coloured porcelain tiles in lotus motifs which might be designed by Pra Ajarn Daeng from Wat Hong Rattanaram.

Moreover, the wooden door is decorated with pearl-inlay in the form of 5 different high-ranked Royal Decorations. This shows a new design of some modern auspicious items other than the traditional Buddhist decorative motifs.

Phra Buddha Ankiros.

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

ชัชพล ไชยพร บรรณาธิการ. ประมวลเอกสารจดหมายเหตุรัชกาลที่ 5 เรื่องวัดราชบพิธสถิตมหาสีมาราม. กรุงเทพฯ : วัดราชบพิธสถิตมหาสีมารามและสำนักงานพระพุทธศาสนาแห่งชาติ, 2553.