Wat Kaew Korawarahm (วัดแก้วโกรวาราม)

Thai. Name of a third class Buddhist temple of royal rank in Krabi, situated on a hill in the heart of this coastal town. This Theravada Buddhist monastery is also a provincial dhamma study center, where monks can study the Pali language and the teachings of the Buddha as found in the Tripitaka, officially known as the Buddhism Dharma Education Center, Dharma-Pali Division and General Discipleship Division of the Sangha of Krabi Province. Whereas it initially started with teaching the Dharma and Pali, it since 1912 AD also expanded into various other fields of study. The construction of the temple happened at the same time as the settlement of some 200 Buddhist households at Ban Pahk Nahm (บ้านปากน้ำ) in 1887 AD, when the local villagers built a monastic residence to be used as a gathering place for religious activities and which they called Phannak Song Pahk Nahm (พำนักสงฆ์ปากน้ำ), i.e. the ‘Monks' Lodge at the Estuary’. When more monks came to stay during the Buddhist Lent, more sala pavilions and kuti, i.e. ‘monk's cubicles’, were built. On 22 March 2000, on the occasion of the 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary of King Rama IX, the temple was upgraded to become a royal temple of the third class, ordinary type, and renamed Wat Kaew Korawarahm. The stairway to this royal temple is flanked by naga-style balustrades that initially were painted a rusty red, but over time were made much more colourful and attractive. The staircase is also lined by lanterns in the form of kanok (fig.) or kranok-shaped (fig.) kreuang soong, i.e.  ceremonial fans (fig.) with an elongated handle (fig.), usually with the outline of a lotus bud (fig.). Also transliterated Wat Kaeo Korawaram. See also MAP and WATCH VIDEO. 回