"Wat Phra Kaew" - Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Grand Palace in Bangkok

Visiting Bangkok don't miss this beautiful "must see" temple of the Emerald Buddha. Technically, it's a big temple with the figurine of the meditating Buddha seated in the yogic posture, which is about 26 inches (66 cm) tall. It's located in the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

There are different legends about the Emerald Buddha. One of them says that the Emerald Buddha was created in 43 BC by a saint named Nagasena in the city of Pataliputra (today's Patna), India. the interesting fact is that 500 years after Buddha attained Nirvana.

Another interesting fact / legend says that in the early period of Bangkok, the Emerald Buddha was taken out of the temple and was shown on the parades in the streets relieving the city and countryside of various calamities (such as plague and cholera). Then this practice was discontinued because of the fear of damage the statue / image during long processions. Also, Rama IV, a former monk, told: "Diseases are caused by germs, not by evil spirits or the displeasure of the Buddha"

Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located in The Grand Palace, which is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. This palace was the official residence of kings and used for official events. Not it's a popular tourist attraction.

The palace has a rectangular shape and takes an area of 218,400 square meters (2,351,000 sq ft), surrounded by four walls.

Grand Palace has a lot of halls, buildings, etc on the territory. It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court, the Middle Court, the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter. This place is open is a museum nowadays, but some public offices are still located and work there.

Couple more beautiful elements of the palace: