Wat Nawamintararachutis

Wat Nawamintararachutis
วัดนวมินทรราชูทิศ
Basic information
Location 382 South Street, East
Raynham MA
Sect Thai Buddhism
Website
Architectural description
Architect(s) Been Z. Wang
Founder Phra Promwachirayan[1]
Funded by Government of Thailand and private donations[1]
Groundbreaking 2011
Completed 2014
Construction cost $60 million[1]
Specifications
Capacity 700[2]
Site area 110,000 square feet

Wat Nawamintararachutis (Thai: วัดนวมินทรราชูทิศ) is a working Thai Theravada Buddhist temple or "wat" in Raynham, Massachusetts, which is about a half-hour south of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is one of only a handful of Thai Buddhist temples in the United States with actual Thai Buddhist monks in residence. Constructed on 35 acres (140,000 m2) previously occupied by a farm, it opened its doors to the public in June 2014. It is one of two Thai temples in Massachusetts; the other one is Wat Boston Buddha Vararam.

History

The ground breaking ceremony for the temple took place on May 5–6, 2011. Construction was scheduled to start late June – July 2011. The 110,000 square-foot temple was opened to the public in June 2014.[1]

Description

The temple was designed by architect Been Z. Wang and features limestone from Jerusalem, concrete panels from Canada, Italian roofing tiles from Italy, and statues and light ornaments from Thailand.[1] The temple can hold 700 people in the main worship space, and includes community rooms and lodging for monks and visitors, and a museum dedicated to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.[2] A 4,000 lb statue of Buddha was placed in the building after completion.[2]

The temple was named Wat Nawamin in honour of King Rama IX of Thailand, who was born on December 5, 1927 near Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (at the Mount Auburn Hospital). At the time, the king's father lived in Brookline, Massachusetts and was a medical student at Harvard Medical School.

The temple is considered to be the largest Thai Buddhist meditation center outside Thailand.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sampson, Zachary T. (16 June 2014). "Thai Buddhist temple dazzles in Raynham". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wat Nawmintararachutis Meditation Center". Consigli. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Monks in their midst In a stretch of suburban Raynham, a community of ascetics is planning what may be the largest Thai Buddhist temple in the hemisphere

Coordinates: 41°53′43.8″N 71°2′0.1″W / 41.895500°N 71.033361°W / 41.895500; -71.033361

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