|  Wat Saket is
an undistinguished temple except for the Golden Mount or Phu
Khao Thong, on the west side of the grounds. The steep climb
up the Golden Mount puts everything back in perspective and
offers views over Rattanakosin Island that are simply stunning.
The artificial hill was created when a large Chedi under
construction by King Rama III collapsed because the soft soil
beneath would not support it. The resulting mud-and-brick hill
was left to sprout weeds until King Rama IV built a small Chedi
on its crest.
King Rama V later
added to the structure and housed a Buddha relic from India
in the Chedi. The concrete walls were added during World War
II to prevent the hill from eroding. Every November a large
festival, held on the ground of Wat Saket, includes a candlelight
procession up the Golden Mount. |
