BANG PA -IN SUMMER PALACE

BANG PA -IN  SUMMER PALACE 

The singular noun in the name is somewhat misleading . It is not one cohesive block of royal buildings , but a sprawling compound  with a jumble of about 30 palatial structures, of varying vintage and styles . It looks more like a modern theme park than a Palace . 

This is the colourful story of  Bang Pa-In , an island in the Chao Phraya river , some 40kms north of Bangkok . In the  17 th Cent , the young scion of the Ayutthaya dynasty got shipwrecked on this island . Ofcourse he was saved . Apparently by a beautiful damsel ......to cut the story short , the prince left more than a Thank You note when he returned safely to his city .....  

Later, the illegitimate son , Prasat Thong,  was made Chief Minister. But the fiesty fellow usurped power , made himself the King and built a monastery  and a palace in his mother's Island .

After the brutal Burmese invasion of Ayutthaya in 1767,  this island too went to ruin . 

The  Palace was renovated and revived as a Summer Retreat by the kings of Chakri Dynasty , Rama IV and Rama V . Buildings were added on down the years , in styles that caught their fancy periodically . As a result , the retreat looks like a medley , a patchwork . 

Ho Hem Monthian Thewarat ( " Golden Palace of The King of Gods" ) A small shrine with khmer style pagoda dedicated to King Prasat Thong  stands close to the entrance . Chinese stone lions keep guard, while ancient boundary marker stones collected from different sites are displayed behind it . 

Phra Thinang Warophat Phiman ( " Excellent and Shining Heavenly Royal Abode " ) Built in 1876. Clearly the king was enamoured of European styles . Built in Neo Classical design and richly furnished with the best from Europe , this building was used as residence and throne hall and is still in use . So, gaping public - keep out ! .....the annexe reminded  me strongly of colonial office buildings of our Mysuru . 

Phra Thinang Aisawan Thiphyart ( " Divine Seat of Personal Freedom " ) the only Thai style structure to be seen , the lovely pavilion was built in 1876 as a copy of the one in Bangkok's Grand Palace . It stands in a large pond teeming with beautiful fish of all sizes . For 15 Baht , you can get a bag of bread crumbs and buns to feed them . Reportedly , there's a bronze statue of King Rama V inside the pavilion , but just my luck , renovation work was in progress . So couldnt see it . Nor the full beauty of the pavilion . 

The semicircular building seen in the background is the Devaraj-Kunlai Gate , the entrance  to the Inner  Palace ( which is strictly private)  . The narrow hall within the Gate building has a snack bar and a small museum of Royalty related exhibits . 

The side view of Phra Thinang Uthayan Phumisathian ( " Royal Garden of The Secured Land" ) built of wood , in 1877 , Swiss chalet style . A favourite residence of past kings , it was accidently gutted in 1938 . Recent renovations were made under  personal direction of Queen Sirikit . It has a very pretty awning at the entrance which i couldnt capture well . 

Ho Withun Thasana ( " The Sage's Lookout " ) built in 1881 , Portuguese style.   Not restricted to sages ! Its  an observation deck to admire the surrounding vistas . The gardens laid all around are very lovely indeed . 

Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun ( " Royal Residence of Heavenly Light " ) The only building fully open to visitors , though photography is restricted to the ground floor . Chinese style mansion built in 1889 . Ornate fretwork on the huge coloumns , latticed windows , gigantic porcelains , massive ebony furniture ....

...and lots of Reddddd and Golllllld ! In the upper storey is displayed a large and intricate woodland scene carved in camel bone . No info on who carved it or when . 

BTW , Footwear and Pokemon catching are strictly prohibited here ! 

Sakornprapaht Gate .....imagining nubile princesses gliding in lotus filled gondolas through this gate to their residences in the Inner Palace (  which used to be  out of bounds for non-royal men once  ) 

" Keng Boo pah Pra paht " Not babbling. Thats the name given to this very charming little cottage that looks like a doll house - .quite a mouthful of sounds . But i never found out what it means . The Guide waffled over it and the info brochure , given with the ticket, does not mention it at all . 

I am not buying the yarn that another tourguide was spinning away to the wonder of a bunch  of firangs : that  it was built for the royal concubines to sit and weave flower garlands ! ..

..whatever it was built for , i loved the look of it . So  Fairy-Tale pretty ! 

There is a Memorial obelisk erected in memory of Queen Sunanda Kumari Ratna and her infant daughter . The story behind it is beyond tragic . It is horrifying .

Sunanda was the half sister and first wife of King Rama V . In 1880 , when she was sailing to the Bang Pa-In palace with her 15 month old daughter , her boat  capsized in Chao Phraya River . By an ancient Royal Decree of Exclusivity , no one could touch the Queen and the Princess , upon pain of death . So  the  whole courtly retinue of minions attending to her on the  journey watched mutely as she sank with her daughter . 

Sunanda was 19 and pregnant with her second  child . 

The grief stricken king put up this memorial with an eulogy composed by himself .

The sombre shaft of cold grey stone left a bad taste in my mouth .