Wat Phra Kaew, best known as Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is one of Thailand's most important Buddhist temples.

Wat Phra Kaew is a sacred Buddhist temple located inside The Grand Palace in the city of Bangkok. The temple is an architectural wonder with intricate structure, elegant sculptures, spectacular art work and gorgeous decoration. It enshrines a Buddha image named Phra Kaew Morakot carved out of a single block of jade stone. The temple complex offers an insight into the Thai Buddhist culture and leaves the visitors in a beautiful trance with its spiritual ambience.

Here are some interesting facts about Wat Phra Kaew:

Wat Phra Kaew's construction began in 1783 during the reign of King Rama I. At that time, Thailand's capital was shifted from Thonburi to Bangkok. Over the years, each king of Thailand has worked on its restoration during their realms.

The Grand Palace is divided into three sections such as inner, middle and outer court. The outer court houses the magnificent temple Wat Phra Kaew. This temple is regarded as one of the major highlights of the entire palace.

The green-coloured Emerald Buddha inside the temple is very much worshipped by the Thai people. Sitting in the meditating posture, the 26-inches-tall and 19-inches-wide statue depicts the life journey of Lord Buddha and is located inside the main building of the temple (Ubosot). Unlike what most people believe, it is not made of emerald (as previously mentioned, carved out of a single jade stone). Wrapped in gold clothing, this statue can be touched by no one but the Thai kings.

The temple architecture is of Rattanakosin style. The complex is home to a number of sacred buildings, statues and pagodas. Aside from the popular ones such as Ho Phra Khanthararat, Phra Mondop Yot Prang, Ho Phra Nak etc., there's also a model of Angkor Wat which was constructed during the reign of King Rama IV and later renovated by King Rama V. The wall paintings depicting stories from the Ramayana epic are absolutely beautiful. While walking through the balcony, one can find statues of mythological characters at each of the gates. On a separate note, there's no quarter for the monks to stay here which is quite unlike all the other temples in Thailand.

Wat Phra Kaew remains open from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm every day. Because of the Thai culture, one is not allowed to visit this temple wearing clothes that reveal knees and shoulders. But you can rent clothes covering full body just outside the complex. Also, the visitors have to take their shoes off before entering the temple premises.