The Royal or
Grand Palace
It can't be described as anything other than beautiful, except that I would also add words like .... Amazing and Majestic!
Many parts of the palace were built back in 1783 and with it's size 216,400 sq. metres you will need the best part of a day to be able to appreciate it's beauty.
Within the walls are situated
government offices and the Royal Chapel of the Emerald
Buddha.
Possibly because of it's size The Palace came to be known as the Grand Palace
The Palace is actualy a group of
diferently styled buildings sorounded by a huge 1900 metre long
wall that encircles the Palace.
The different building groups are :-
THE MAHAMONTIEN
THE CAKRI GROUP
THE DUSIT GROUP
This is the audience hall
with a beautiful throne of mother-of-pearl surmounted by the
usual nine-tiered white canopy, the mark of the duly crowned
king.
and
THE BOROMABIMAN BUILDING
The Galleries
The Chapel Royal ground is enclosed by some
amazing galleries where the walls are covered with huge murals
depicting the story of the Ramakien of the first reign version.
If we start at the east gate we come to the initial stages of the war waged by Rama of Ayodthaya to rescue his wife who had been abducted by Thotsakan (Ravana), King of Longka.
Here are depicted episodes of
the building the causeway from the mainland, of the campaign of Maiyarab the Magician who took the sleeping Rama away
to the netherworld, the campaigns of Kumpakan and Indrajit, the
brother and son respectively of Thotsakan and other campaigns
waged by Thotsakan himself, his other relatives and allies. The
battle in which Thotsakan, loses his life is to be found just
beyond the gate leading into the royal palace.
The
whole ground is enclosed by the many huge galleries, the murals
of which depict the story of the Ramakien of the first reign version.
Click on "The Cute
Boys" to Return to my Index Page and the lusts of Patong
Beach!!
This link will take you to the official
Thai website with lots of information about the Royal Palace and
Thailand.
That's all for now ...... I will be back again soon!
neil November 2000