By David Li, bostonese.com
Boston, May 10, 2014, — Constructed on 35 acres previously occupied by a farm in Raynham Mass, Thai Buddhist temple Wat Nawamin opened its doors to the public in June 2006. The ground breaking ceremony for the temple building took place on May 5, 2011. Three years later, the grand structure was finally topped off.
Design of the new temple building (from Wat Nawamintararachutis Facebook page)
According to architect Been Zen Wang of Architectural Resources, this temple building is the largest Thai Buddhist temple outside Thailand. Mr. Wang is the lead architect for the temple building, and was delighted to see the project coming to a milestone at the top-off ceremony.
“The funding of the temple comes from King of Thailand,” said Mr. Wang who is a Buddhist himself. Designing the Wat Nawamin temple building was one of the most satisfying and challenging work he has taken on, Mr. Wang mentioned.
Wat Nawamin is one of only a handful of Thai Buddhist temples in the United States with Thai Buddhist monks in residence. The temple was named Wat Nawamin in honor of King Rama IX — Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born on December 5, 1927 at the Mount Auburn Hospita in Cambridge. At the time, the king’s father lived in Brookline and was a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He became King of Thailand in 1950 at age 22.
Just a few days ago on May 5, King Bhumibol Adulyadej marked 64th anniversary of coronation. As the world’s longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been loved by Thai people, and is seen as a stabilizing force in Thailand during its political crises in recent years.