Foreign Property News | Posted by Hnin Ei Khin
Bangkok is a splendid mix of traditional and modern juxtapositions and influences, a bustling hub of surprises. Not even the revered Buddhist temples, or wats, escape the thin line of contrasts and contradictions. Here, we take you inside the famous Beckham Temple.
Wat Pariwat, also known as "the David Beckham Temple", is decorated with statues of superheroes and comic characters as well as mythical and imaginary creatures. A golden-plated sculpture of the English football player holding the base of a Buddha statue in one of the buildings gives the temple its nickname.
The head monk at the temple is a Manchester United supporter, so he thought it would be a great idea to have the image included on the base of the shrine. I’m not sure what he thinks now that David Beckham no longer plays for Manchester United. This is definitely one of the weird and quirky temples we have been to.
David Beckham’s statue was installed at Pariwat Temple in 1998, when the sculptor, who happened to be a die-hard Manchester United fan, was allowed to include it as a permanent temple decoration as a symbol of his love for the club. It has since become famous all over the world and has even given the temple its nickname. But this statue isn’t all that’s unusual about this Buddhist temple, not even close. Among Buddhist-themed artworks and representations of mythical creatures, you’ll notice some characters that don’t quite belong, like Batman or Albert Einstein…
Ref: albawaba
