Wat Thepthidaram
About
Wat Thepthidaram Worawihan rises in the Samran Rat area of Bangkok, set close to the old Mahakan Fort and Wat Ratchanadda. Its name means 'the Temple of the celestial daughter', a fitting title for a foundation raised in royal devotion to a beloved princess.
The Temple was established in 1836 by King Nangklao (Rama III) in honour of his eldest daughter Princess Vilas, also known as Princess Apsorn Sudathep, who herself contributed personally to the construction. Completed in 1839, the precinct was given its royal name shortly afterwards.
The wat holds a wealth of artistic detail drawn from the long trade between China and Siam: porcelain ornament, Chinese-style figures, and pattern work reminiscent of Wat Pho and Wat Suthat. The principal Buddha image of the ordination hall, carved from a single piece of pure white stone, is enshrined within the Wetchayan Butsabok, a small mandapa King Rama III brought from the Grand Palace. Locally venerated as Luang Pho Khao, the 'white reverend father', the image was given the formal name Phra Phuttha Thewavilas by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1971.
A further distinction lies in the bhikkhuni sanctuary to the left of the ordination hall, where fifty-two images of female monks are gathered, a striking and unusual presence among Thai Temples. The Temple is also remembered as the place where the great Rattanakosin poet Sunthorn Phu took ordination under Princess Vilas's patronage; his former dwelling now houses the Sunthorn Phu Museum.
History
Wat Thepthidaram was founded in 1836 by King Nangklao (Rama III) and completed in 1839. The king dedicated the Temple to his eldest daughter Princess Vilas, who joined personally in supporting its construction. Following the Temple's completion the king bestowed upon it the formal name Wat Thepthidaram.
In 1971 King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) gave the principal Buddha image its full name, Phra Phuttha Thewavilas. The Temple was registered as a national ancient monument by the Fine Arts Department in 1977, recognising the importance of its sculptural, architectural, and literary heritage.
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