Wat Ban Den is a Buddhist temple located in Thailand. It is a big temple with various artistic and religious elements and is famous for its stupas, colorful details, and artistry. The temple is located in Chiang Mai, a city famous for its majestic and unique temples like Wat Rong Khun. The temple’s full official name is Wat Bandensali Sri Mueang Kaen.
A former Abbott named Kruba Thueang Natsilo renovated the temple in 1804 to create the most beautiful place of worship within the area to attract the attention of the people and teach them about the religion. He also wanted people to use the temple as a spiritual relaxation place rather than just a venue for religious rituals.
Wat Ban Den was dedicated to the Chinese Zodiac. That’s why there are 12 stupas for the 12 zodiac animals.
Generally, every zodiac sign has its own official temple but most of these temples tend to be far away from each other. For that reason, 12 stupas were built on the grounds of the complex, each representing an animal from the zodiac.
In 1988, Wat Ban Den underwent another renovation through the support of the local communities and Buddhists. After this, the temple became popular across the country.
Burmese-style reclining Buddha
