Wat Kanlayanamit

Wat Kalayanamitr
Wat Kalayanamitr
Religion
Affiliation	Buddhism
Location
Country	Thailand
	Shown within Bangkok
Geographic coordinates	13°44′24″N 100°29′28″E / 13.739939°N 100.491226°E
Architecture
Founder	Chaophraya Nikonbodin
Completed	1825

Wat Kalayanamitr Varamahavihara (Thai: วัดกัลยาณมิตรวรมหาวิหาร, RTGS: Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihan, IPA: [wát kanlajaːnamít wɔːráʔmahǎːwíʔhǎːn]) is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Bangkok, Thailand. The temple is located in Wat Kanlaya sub-district, on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya River. The temple was established in 1825 by Chaophraya Nikonbodin (born To, Thai: เจ้าพระยานิกรบดินทร์ (โต)), a wealthy Thai Chinese trader,^[1] who donated the temple to Rama III. Chaophraya Nikonbodin was an ancestor of the Kalayanamitr family, whose descendants include Saprang Kalayanamitr. A poem inscribed in the temple reads:

Thai	Transcription	English
วัดกัลยาณมิตรคนสนิทกษัตริย์สร้าง งามสล้างรุ่งเรืองดั่งเมืองสรวง เป็นที่เคารพสักการะคนทั้งปวง เพราะในหลวงจักรีวงศ์ทรงอุ้มชูฯ	Wat Kalayanamitr khon sanit kasat sang Ngam salang rung rueang dang mueang suang Pen thi khaorop sakkara khon thang puang Phro nailuang chakkriwong song umchu	True friend temple was built by a close friend of the King As glorious, beautiful, and prominent as the city of heaven It is respected and worshiped by all people Because it is cherished by the Chakri Dynasty King^[2]

Wat Kalayanamitr Varamahavihara is one of three family temples of the Kalayanamitr family, along with Wat Rakhang and Wat Chakkrawatdirachawat Woramahawihan. The family name Kalayanamitr derives from a poem inscribed in the temple.^[2]

The ordination hall, stands out on the riverbank. It houses a huge Buddha image, Phra Buddha Trai Rattananayok (พระพุทธไตรรัตนนายก), or Luang Pho To (หลวงพ่อโต, Big Buddha) in Thai, known among the ethnic Chinese as Sampokong (ซำปอกง; Chinese: 三寶公). It is the largest Buddha image in Bangkok, in the same style as the Big Buddha at Wat Phanan Choeng in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Therefore making the ordination hall of this temple very large and clearly visible from the river. Both Buddha images are regarded as representatives of both Buddha and Zheng He. Thais and Thais of Chinese descent hold fast to the belief that paying respect to the image brings prosperity and fortune, as well as safe journeys throughout the year.^[3]