Wat Rong Khun: The Mystical White Temple in Thailand

Wat Rong Khun is a temple with some eccentric interiors like visuals of the burning twin towers, angry birds, Spiderman or characters from Star Wars. Also, you will see Michael Jackson, Freddy Krueger, Terminator, Neo from The Matrix etc., strange isn't it?

The White temple sits on the borders of Chiang Rai. Created with an intention to make a ‘paradise on Earth’, this temple is among the 33,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand.

A Thai national artist - Ajarn Chalermchai Kositpipat, dedicated 2 years for the restoration (after an earthquake in 2014) of The White Temple – Wat Rong Khun (originally known) as an offering to Lord Buddha.

By the end of the 20th century, this masterpiece was in a bad state of repair and moreover, an earthquake in 2014 hit the temple making the condition worse.

The all-white exterior of the temple portrays the purity of Buddha, mirrored trimming exemplifies self-reflection.

The bridge of “the cycle of rebirth” leading to the entrance has a sea of the extending arms from the fiery depths of hell on both the sides.

This odd temple has a somewhat creepy entrance with weird harbingers to come! But the creepiness gradually dissolves with the swift moves of décor from pristine white to fiery and bewildering.

After walking on the bridge, here comes the Gate of Heaven! Guarded by two creatures resembling Death and Rahu.

The principal building, Ubosot, is a white building along with mirrored glass fragments embedded in the exteriors. Murals and images on the walls of this temple express about the impact of humans on the Earth!

The rest rooms are the Golden Buildings! Very ornately embellished, this building depicts the body and the white ubosot represents the mind!

The temple is open all year-round, with some areas of the temple restricted due to the ongoing construction. Entry for Thai nationals is free whereas the foreigners have to pay 50 baht. This minimal amount is worth spending on a monument costing upto THB1,080 million till date!