Wat Rakhang Kositaram Woramahavihan

Wat Rakhang Kositaram has been around since the Ayutthaya period. Originally, it was called Wat Bang Wa Yai. Later, King Taksin the Great elevated it to a royal temple. When an ancient bell was unearthed within the temple grounds during the reign of King Rama I, it was renamed Wat Rakhang (Bell Temple). Inside Wat Rakhang, there is a beautiful main chapel in the style of King Rama I, housing the principal Buddha image, Luang Pho Yim Rap Fa, a bronze Buddha statue in a meditative posture. This principal Buddha image is highly revered for its beauty. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), he once visited to present the Kathin robes and remarked, 'No temple is like Wat Rakhang. As soon as you enter the chapel, the principal Buddha image smiles at the sky every time.' This is the origin of the name of the principal Buddha image. Another significant structure in Wat Rakhang is the temple's prang (Khmer-style tower).