Wat Nawamintararachutis () is a working Thai Theravada Buddhist temple or "wat" in Raynham, Massachusetts, which is about 45 minutes 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 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 5–6 May 2011. Construction was scheduled to start late June – July 2011. The 110,000 square-foot temple was opened to the public in June 2014.
Description The temple was designed by architect Been Z. Wang and features limestone from Jerusalem, concrete panels from Canada, Ludowici clay roof tiles, and statues and light ornaments from Thailand. 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. A 4,000 lb statue of Buddha was placed in the building after completion.
The temple was named Wat Nawamin in honor 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.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
See also Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, Redwood Valley, California San Fran Dhammaram Temple, San Francisco Vajiradhammapadip Temple, Centereach and Mount Vernon in New York Wat Boston Buddha Vararam, Bedford, Massachusetts Wat Buddhananachat of Austin, Del Valle, Texas Wat Buddhasamakeevanaram, Bossier City, Louisiana Wat Buddhanusorn, Fremont, California Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram, Bolivia, North Carolina Wat Florida Dhammaram, Kissimmee, Florida Wat Mettāvarānaṁ, Valley Center, California Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley, California Wat Mongkolratanaram, Tampa, Florida Wat Pasantidhamma, Carrollton, Virginia Buddhism in the United States
References
External links
Opening ceremonies photo album Official blog Official Website