Wat

The entrance to the Phra Viharn Luang (meeting hall) at Wat Suthat, one of the most important Buddhist temples in Bangkok

A wat (derived from the Pali word avasa as well as from the Sanskrit word avasatha) is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand or Laos. The word "wat" (Thai วัด) (sometimes rendered "vat" when referring to Laos) means "school." Strictly speaking a wat is a Buddhist sacred precinct with monks' quarters , the temple proper, an edifice housing a large image of Buddha, and a structure for lessons. A Buddhist site without a minimum of three resident monks cannot correctly be described as a wat, although the term is frequently used more loosely, even for ruins of ancient temples. (As a transitive or intransitive verb, wat means to measure, to take measurements; compare templum, which has the same root as template.)

In everyday language in Thailand, a wat is any place of worship except a mosque (Thai สุเหร่า su-rao; or มัสยิด Thai rendering of masjid; a mosque may also be described as โบสด์ของอิสลาม bot khong Is-a-lam). Thus wat cheen is a Chinese temple (either Buddhist or Taoist), wat khaek is a Hindu temple, and wat kris or wat krit or wat farang is a Christian church, though Thai โบสด์ (โบด bot) may be used descriptively as with mosque.

Structure

A typical Buddhist wat consists of the following buildings:

chedi เจดีย์ (from Sanskrit: chaitya, temple) - usually conical or bell-shaped buildings, often containing relics of Buddha
viharn or wihaan วิหาร (from Sanskrit: vihara and Pali vihaan ) - a meeting and prayer room
mondop มณฑป (from Sanskrit: Mandapa) - a usually open, square building with four arches and a pyramidal roof, used to worship religious texts or objects
sala ศาลา (from Sanskrit: Shala - School, from an earlier meaning of shelter) - a pavilion for relaxation or miscellaneous activities
bot โบสถ์ or ubosoth อุโบสถ์ (from Pali uposatha) - the holiest prayer room, also called the "ordination hall" as it is where new monks take their vows. Architecturally it is similar to the vihara; the main differences are the eight cornerstones placed around the bot to ward off evil. The bot is usually more decorated than the viharn.
haw trai หอไตร - Tripitaka library where Buddhist scriptures are kept
haw klawng หอกลอง - drum tower
haw rakhang หอระฆัง - bell tower

The living quarters of the monks, including the กุฏิ (กุติ kuti or กุด kut - monk cells) are separated from the sacred buildings.

Examples

Some well-known wats include:

Cambodia

Laos

Thailand

Wat Suthat, Bangkok Thailand
Wat Benchamabophit (The Marble Temple), Bangkok
Wat Ratchanadda, Bangkok
Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok
Wat Arun, Bangkok
Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai
Wat Aranyawiwake, Chiang Mai
Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
Wat Phra Pathom Chedi, Nakhon Pathom
Wat Phumin, Nan

Gallery

Two viharns and a chedi at Wat Phra That Chang Kham, Nan
Chedi and viharn at Wat Suan Tan, Nan
Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos

Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos