Historic Place, Religious Sight

Wat Chakrawatrachawat Woramahawihan is a royal Buddhist temple in Bangkok. It was founded over 200 years ago, during the reign of King Rama I, and was later significantly reconstructed. The temple's largest structure is a massive Khmer-style tower. The main hall houses the revered Phra Nak Buddha statue, and the temple also features a small grotto with a "shadow of the Buddha", onto which visitors glue pieces of gold foil. The shrine is also known as the Crocodile Temple because of the pond containing several live crocodiles within its grounds. According to legend, the tradition began during the reign of Rama III, when a one-eyed man-eating crocodile was captured and placed in the temple under the protection of monks.