There probably has never been a foreign visitor to Thailand who hasn't visited a temple. It's like visiting Italy and not going to a cathedral. But for many sightseers the Thai temple, or wat, is a confusing jumble of beautiful buildings, shrines, monuments, statues, carvings and artwork. What's it all mean? If you are living here then you probably have a local wat nearby. When you visit your home wat it will be a lot more fun and meaningful if you know a little about what you're looking at.

     The word wat originally meant a school or a place where religious learning took place. Today a wat is a temple complex made up of a number of different structures each having a unique use and purpose.

Viharn (pronounced "wee-haan")

     This is a building where the public can enter freely and you will observe them paying respects (not praying) to the Buddha images by prostrating three times; to the Buddha (the person), the Dharma (his teachings) and the Sangka (followers of the Dharma). It is where you can go to hear sermons on the dharma and make offerings of flowers, incense and of course money. Decorated with paintings and sacred images besides the large Buddhas, the viharn is the building that most visitors refer to when they think of the classic Thai temple.

Bot (pronounced "boat")

     The bot (also referred to as ubosoth) is where the serious business of the temple takes place. It is the "ordination hall" where the new monks take their vows. It is often closed to the public and can be differentiated from the viharn by the eight cornerstones that are placed around it and quite often the sign "No women allowed".

Sala

     An open-sided pavilion, the sala, is a place for the public to gather, eat, study, and basically hang out. Sala is also the Thai word for gazebo.

Ho Trai

     Sometimes this is referred to as the library but more accurately it is a depository of the temple's sacred writings. These include the "tripitika" ("trai" means three as in the English "tri"), and other sacred manuscripts. The three things that the tripitika refers to are the books of Buddhist rules, the Buddha's sermons and the Dharma (teachings). The ho trai is usually built high up, often on stilts, in order to protect the sacred manuscripts from the elements.

Chedi (pronounced "jay-dee")

     Sometimes referred to as stupa or pagoda, it is usually conical or bell-shaped and often will contain the ashes of monks or kings and sometimes a relic (bone, tooth, hair, etc.) of the Buddha. I asked a villager once how there could be so many relics of the Buddha since if we collected them all there would be enough to make up hundreds of people. His simple answer was that the relics were magical and could replicate themselves. Sounds logical.

Kuti (pronounced "goo-tee")

     These are the living quarters of the monks and are separated from the other sacred buildings. Some kuti, especially the abbot's kuti, can be large, lavishly decorated buildings where temple business can take place. Others will be one room huts out in the jungle where a monk might spend 20 hours a day in meditation.

     Other objects one encounters at temples are the chofah, the bird-like decorations on temple roofs, often attached to the small musical temple bells. You'll also see mythical animals such as naga. This is the mystical serpent that according to legend opened his cobra-like hood over the meditating Buddha to protect him. You will often see naga as banisters along the steps leading up to the viharn or bot. You will also see the yaks or giants who guard the temples.

     Some temples can be busy and cacophonous, especially the more "important ones" like the temple of the Emerald Buddha or the temple on Doi Suthep. Smaller village temples can be peaceful and meditative (except during temple fairs and market days of course). Whichever ones you visit, enjoy. They are one aspect of Thailand that makes this a special place.