Hello everyone, in this blog we are discussing one of the most beautiful engineering marvels, which is not that popular in the civil engineering field. But when you start exploring it, you will definitely have the jaw-dropping moments. In this blog, we will take a closer look at The Sanctuary of Truth, which is a famous tourist attraction in Pattaya, Thailand.
The Sanctuary of Truth is a wooden building that is a hybrid of castle and temple based on the Ayutthaya period as well as Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. This construction marvel is built with Mai Daeng and teakwood, and it was designed by Mr. Lek Viriyahphan, the founder of the ancient city and Erawan elephant museum. The construction of this gigantic wooden building was going on for 20 years and it is still in process, however, is open for visitors. The Sanctuary of Truth is built in the form of a tetrahedron (the cathedral).
The estimated interior space of the building is around 2115 square meters and the central apex of the Sanctuary of Truth is 105 meters tall and 100 meters wide in four directions from the center point.
The Sanctuary of Truth is the world-famous architecture of Thailand. Inspired by the temples in Ayutthaya, The Sanctuary of Truth is completely made of wood and is delicately hand carved. Each and every surface of the sanctuary is decorated with a lot of intricate Eastern sculptures from the Hindu, Thai, Khmer, and Chinese traditions. The principle idea behind the Sanctuary of Truth is to make people do good things, avoid evil things as well as the philosophies that teach us a different way of living and fulfillment which modern life can’t offer. This sanctuary also highlights the beauty and history of Thailand and its religion.
History
The Sanctuary of Truth is under construction since 1981. Over the years the woodcarving techniques of people have developed, and the instructor wants that people should see the improvement and the finest carving art. The architectural style of The Sanctuary of Truth is inspired by Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. In order to give each part of the castle a different texture, different kind of woods has been used for the construction of the Sanctuary of Truth. Also, the strength and durability of the wood have been thought about and the selected wood is estimated to last for around 600 years.
Description
On the rooftop of the Sanctuary of Truth, there is a Four-Face Brahma Statue, which denotes the respect to the teacher, mother, father, and the king. It is said that Brahma will protect the one who believes in one of the three major gods of Hindus.
- The Northern Hall of the Sanctuary of Truth represents the wisdom of emancipation from positive thinking.
- The Southern Hall of the Sanctuary of Truth represents the planets, the sun, and the moon, in order to depict that they all influence our environment as well as our life processes.
- The Western Hall of the Sanctuary of Truth represents the story of four elements, Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, which are considered as the source of everything on Earth, and sculpture of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the gods who conquer the four elements.
- The Eastern Hall of the Sanctuary of Truth exhibits sculptures of the mother, father, love, mercy, and everything from generation to generation.
Things to do at The Sanctuary of Truth
There are a large number of activities to do and things to explore at The Sanctuary of Truth. Before entering the castle, there is a viewpoint where you can see the whole building as if it is floating in the sea. The key attraction at the Sanctuary of Truth is the visual exhibitions of significant eastern religious concepts as well as the circle of life. For foreigners, there are guided tours in Russian, Chinese, and English. Further, you can have activities such as ATV tours, elephant riding, a boat trip around the coastal line, Art, and tradition show, Dolphin show, ad Martial art show.
Also, you can participate in different workshops such as wood carving, martial arts, sword fights, etc. and do some souvenir shopping.