When Is a Temple Not a Temple?

Written by D.R. Ransdell

When Is a Temple Not a Temple?

Answer: When it’s a mega-temple!

My friend and I decided to visit Thailand’s Wat Pho on the morning we were going to visit The Grand Palace because the two famous sites were close together. The descriptions in our guidebooks made it sound like the temple was famous because it was one of the oldest in Thailand and because it was closely associated with the Buddha. We didn’t think much past that. We took for granted it was on a must-see list.

            When we arrived at the temple, we were shocked to find that it wasn’t merely a temple but a whole temple complex. This was completely new to me. Up to that point I’d spent a lot of time traveling through Europe, which meant touring famous churches such as the Chartres Cathedral or the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Even though those two churches were examples of buildings that deserved a ninety-minute visit, I wasn’t prepared for Wat Pho, which was worth several hours!