Their Majesties the King and Queen visit Wat Phra Kaew

BANGKOK, 20 April 2012 (NNT) – Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand today visited the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, locally called Wat Phra Kaew, to observe mural paintings on the gallery surrounding the temple’s Uposotha.

Their Majesties arrived at the temple at 17.31 hr and were later guided on a tour of the gallery by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The murals on the Gallery, or Phra Rabiang, in Wat Phra Kaew were created during the reign of King Rama III. They depict the entire Ramakian story based on the Indian Ramayana epic. The mural paintings consist of 178 sections, each with poems describing scenes on the paintings. They are considered the longest mural paintings in the world.

After a tour of the Gallery, Their Majesties the King and Queen went inside the Uposatha, where they paid homage to the country’s most respected Emerald Buddha image and the statues of King Rama I and King Rama II. The royal couple then admired the beautifully decorated interior of the hall and murals depicting the Buddha’s story on the wall.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, built in the reign of King Rama I, underwent a few major renovations, and the latest one was ordered by King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1980 before the bicentennial celebrations of Bangkok. At that time, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was assigned by His Majesty to supervise the restorations.