Temple of hell and heaven in thailand. The most terrible Thailand: Temple of Heaven and Hell Park of hell and heaven in Pattaya

Bang Saen is a resort town located a few dozen kilometers from Pattaya. Its main attraction is the temple of Hell and Paradise, which symbolizes the understanding of the Thais about where the sinners and the righteous end up.

How to get there

Getting to Bang Saen is quite easy. Walk along Pattaya North Street to Sukhumvit Highway, turn left. There will be minibuses right at the gas station. They go to Bangkok via Bang Saen. The ride takes about 40–50 minutes (as of November 2017, the fare was 100 baht).

The minibus will take you approximately to Long Had Bangsaeng Road, where you change to a red tuk-tuk and reach the beach. Then about 20-30 minutes on foot - and you are near the temple. The minibus also departs from Sukhumvit Highway (on the opposite side of where you will be dropped off).

What to see

First of all, take a walk along the territory of Bang Saen Beach. It offers a wide selection of national dishes: soups, chicken and sea delicacies. The price tag is acceptable - lower than in Pattaya. The cost of souvenirs will also pleasantly surprise you. It is noteworthy that there are practically no foreigners in the city. But there are excellent hotels - it is a pity that we did not book a room in this city. Visually, everything is very nice. The beach is clean.

Actually, about the temple. It is divided into two parts. Heaven and Hell. First you go to heaven. Everything is quite calm here. The figures tell about the life path of the Buddha and his deeds. But hell is not a sight for the impressionable. Here, in the manner characteristic of Asiatics, it is shown in detail what will happen to sinners. The Temple of Hell and Paradise is an active religious building, so there are many Thais with children here. According to legend, if you make a donation in the temple, you can atone for your sins.

Briefly and to the point:

• Bang Saen is suitable for a beach holiday with a Thai flavor;
• sea ​​delicacies and souvenirs are acceptable;
• it is better to go to the temple of Hell and Paradise without children.

Thailand is just a treasure trove of exotic culture. The religious beliefs and way of life of its simple population amaze the European consciousness. The most daring and sophisticated tourists should spend one day on an unforgettable excursion to the Temple of Hell and Paradise. Traveling to a distant country for a vacation, it will be interesting to look at a small piece of Asian religiosity.

This place is a shrine for the Buddhist part of the planet's population and clearly illustrates two options for the afterlife of the immortal soul. The statues installed here can be viewed for hours, realizing the need for the right choice of a further direction in self-development. Thais visit this place without fail, presenting generous monetary donations. It is believed here that financial assistance for the needs of the temple can atone for guilt and clear the way to the Garden of Eden.

Anyone can enter the territory without restrictions, leaving an entrance fee in the form of donations; for this, peculiar urns with detailed instructions are located at every step. In order for purification to take place, it is necessary to correctly calculate the amount of money left. The math here is based on the date of birth according to the eastern horoscope. The number of banknotes left should approximately equal the years lived with the addition of the last digits from the date of birth.

main meaning

The Temple of Hell and Paradise demonstrates vivid scenes of torment for sinners and blessed enlightenment for the righteous. The garden is divided into two areas rather unevenly. The part with the attractive inscription "Welcome to Hell" takes up more space, illustrating detailed physical torture for violating all the existing laws of the Buddha. In the current monastery, all conditions have been created for realizing the mistakes made and the opportunity to atone for them while still in this world.

The inscriptions in English and Russian testify that there are many who want to start everything from scratch and before it's too late, they are ready to go from different countries.

Paradise

Buddhists in the scriptures have a lot in common with other world religions, so the creations created by artists can bring confusion to the mind of a person from another religious branch. The main thing in the heavenly part is the statue of Buddha, who froze in the lotus position with a blissful expression on his face. Nearby sit his followers who have chosen the true path. They enjoy the gifts of nature and their postures, demonstrating the achievement of complete harmony. It is amazing that a teacher allows unthinking humanity to repent to the last and begin to live piously.

Even those who have fallen into the other world, passing the main court, can still find hope for the continuation of eternal existence surrounded by their teacher. Buddhism is a loyal and unobtrusive religion, but for violators, he has prepared a lot of corporal punishment.

Hell

In the central part of the Temple of Hell and Paradise there are shocking modified figures of a woman and a man. Their bodies are the first warning, because further torture becomes more and more terrible. The punishment for any minor offense is the partial transformation of one of the body parts into the image of an animal. Unclean hands turn into monkeys; setting fires - into toads; those who treat nature with disdain - into goats; greedy officials turn into pigs. There are more than twenty such mutilated sculptures, and under all of them there are inscriptions explaining the reasons for the punishment, and nearby, of course, there is a little blue urn to atone for your rash act in this direction.

More serious sins involve constant torment and mockery of the flesh. For an abortion, a woman receives a metal spear rotating in her stomach. They are punished for treason, murder, theft and lies. Drunkards get red-hot lead in their mouths, they put someone on a stake, or they constantly cut their stomachs with an ax. People are boiled in a boiling cauldron and birds torment their bodies with their beaks.

Such scenes are not for the faint of heart and are calculated that visitors, impressed by the pictures of terrible torments, will pay off their already committed deeds with the financial support of the monastery, and not repeat them in later life. Interestingly, the Thais bring children with them, allowing them to watch scenes of violence from an early age. Many parents allow the exhibits to be touched, and instructively explain the role of each in the great semantic idea of ​​the creator.

Tortoises and fish peacefully nestle alongside human-made terrifying sculptures. They help relieve stress with their peaceful and calm appearance, therefore they are always surrounded by a crowd of children. For those who want to feed unusual pets, food is sold nearby, they can be stroked and photographed as a keepsake.

The Temple of Hell and Heaven is a convenient place for visitors

Wat Saen Sut is a popular garden complex in the southeast of the kingdom. It is located in a convenient location for travelers. From the capital Bangkok, you need to drive only 90 kilometers towards the resort town of Bang Saen. It is famous for its beaches, and you can combine swimming in the warm Gulf of Thailand with cultural development. To the north at a distance of 45 kilometers is Pattaya, which has long been chosen by tourists for a beach holiday. It does not matter which of the cities to choose as the starting point for visiting, because it is famous. The Temple of Hell and Heaven is very popular and can be reached in several different ways in terms of cost and comfort.

1. Tourist. Any company organizing a holiday in Thailand necessarily offers a full package of services, which includes, in addition to accommodation and meals, trips to various impressive sights. Wat Saen Sut is one of the top ten places recommended for sightseeing tours. As a rule, tourists are brought here by large comfortable buses for the whole day, organizing a simple snack and giving travelers a lot of time to carefully study all the exhibits. Therefore, when planning your vacation through intermediaries, do not deny yourself the pleasure of bringing vivid memories and photographs from an exotic place.
2. Private. Being in one of the cities located near the complex, you can take a taxi in both directions for little money. The incessant flow of curious tourists to the Temple of Hell and Paradise has created a variety of people who want to earn extra money by frequent transportation, so if the company consists of several people, then you can ride in comfort. Given the unusual hot climate, such a decision may become relevant, and the money spent will pay off with interest.
3. Public. Those wishing to plunge completely into Asian culture and feel the taste of life in a populous country should use public transport services. This way to get to the desired destination is suitable for experienced hikers with good training. The main advantage is the undeniable cheapness and the opportunity to observe the local population and their rhythm of life. Please note that there are no direct flights from Bangkok, Bangsaen and Pattaya. You can get to the territory of the monastery on your own by making a few simple transfers.

In Thailand, this holiday destination is very popular among visitors and locals. The inhabitants of the country sincerely believe that all the atrocities committed can be paid off with financial well-being, so they visit the garden complex with enviable regularity. Asking for symbolic forgiveness, they attract good luck that brings money. On weekends and holidays, Wat Saen Sut is completely filled with people. Among locals and tourists, there are many who want to take the opportunity to cleanse themselves spiritually and relax physically on the coast. Therefore, it will be absolutely impossible to feel contact with Buddhist culture and the gentle waters of the Gulf of Thailand in complete solitude. But if you plan a trip in the middle of the week, you will be able to avoid strong pandemonium.

You've never seen Thailand like this before!
Get the kids off the screen and dive under the cut! Now I will scare you.
“What is this obscurantism in the title picture?» - for sure, you thought ... And the answer will be very unexpected - this is a Buddhist temple!

When I was preparing a trip to Phang Nga province, I somehow accidentally subtracted and saw a couple of pictures that there is a completely crazy temple there ... and since I am a big fan of hitting a three-ruble note ... “100% we are going!”– immediately flashed through my head!

The full name of the temple is Wat Tham Ta Pan Bureau of Monks, in Russian it is called Temple of Heaven and Hell. And now you will understand why.

To be honest, going there, I had no idea what was waiting for me.

1. We found the temple very quickly, it is on Google maps, a fountain with five monks and a Buddha statue were waiting at the entrance ... Well, it’s quite familiar and expected for a Buddhist temple.

2. The territory looked abandoned, but this only added to the charm of the place.

3. Near this tablet, lines from a fairy tale surfaced in my head: “If you go to the right, you will find happiness; if you go to the left, you will lose your head…”. We didn’t understand anything, I didn’t even know that this was the temple of Heaven and Hell, and we just went straight ahead.

4. First, we met statues of different animals, in which we quickly recognized 12 symbols of the Chinese zodiac calendar ... But what was my surprise when we saw THIS!

5. I visited a couple of dozen Thai temples, but I didn’t see anything like it ... “What the hell is this?”- just got out of me.

6. Ah, then I didn’t even know how right I was ...

7. To the right of this disgrace was a lowland, I went a little further, lowered my head down and saw this picture ...

8. Here, of course, scenes from Hell are already easily recognizable.

9. As conceived by the architect (if there was one), it was supposed to go down to Hell through a tunnel in the form of a dragon's body, but I just jumped down the stones, so I wanted to consider this horror in detail.

10. I couldn't believe my eyes. I repeat, I have never seen anything like this in Thailand. “This is the fruit of a sick fantasy of a person!” I thought. Someone built this! Look into the details!

11. These scenes symbolize the torment of sinners, having seen enough of this, you really don’t want to sin for a long time ...

12. There are a lot of figures and you can look at them for a long time .. Everything looks abandoned, but in fact, almost all the figures have holes for donations, which a monk with keys periodically comes to collect.

13. The place is both creepy and somehow alluring ... Well, okay, I confess, I also like to walk around cemeteries.

14. I thought about what would happen if you bring someone here at night) This is a real horror.

15. This is a dream - you can’t brush off cowards!

16. In short, it's better not to indulge!

17. And then they will put you on a stake, like this prostitute ...

18. Here is a scene from the great Judgment of sinners. The horror in their eyes is depicted quite believably. The only thing I did not understand is who is this dude, who, in the view of Buddhists, administers the Great Court.

19. For those who want to go to Buddhist hell, here are 5 commandments, which, for fidelity, it is better to break everything:

– Refrain from taking life (do not kill)
- Refrain from accepting what is not given (do not steal)
– Refrain from sexual misconduct (do not commit adultery)
- Refrain from lying
– Refrain from drinking alcohol

One thing pleases - Hell, like Paradise, in Buddhism is not an eternal phenomenon, here it is supposed to be on a visit between rebirths. So.. everything can be fixed 😉
20. After such a horror, we really wanted to see Paradise. We climbed out of the pit with Hell, and again a completely peaceful picture appeared before us with a lonely wandering monk.

21. And this is the same dragon, through the body of which it was supposed to descend to Hell.

22. In general, guys! If Hell is a terrible horror, then Paradise is a complete disappointment ... Yes, it's just a mountain with a huge green head on top and Hindu gods.

23. Well, kapets, after such and such a Hell, I expected something incredibly divine and uplifting to heaven!

Yes, in this temple, as in all Thai Buddhism, a lot of trends are mixed - Buddhism, Hinduism and even Taoism.
24. But there is still a huge Buddha statue.

25. Against the background of a monk.

26. In general, there are a lot of bizarre figures and statues on the territory of the temple.

27. The temple looks old and decrepit, but this only adds to its mysticism and mystery)

28.

This is undoubtedly one of the most unusual and unexpected places that I have ever seen in Thailand! Just a break in the pattern 🙂 It excites the mind and tickles the nerves, and therefore, I really liked it here) Incredible cool girl!

According to the descriptions on the Internet, I read that there you can still climb the stairs to the tower and see the surroundings from a height, and also go down to the cave .. we somehow missed it, but it was enough impressions%)

The Temple of Hell and Paradise is located at a distance of 40 kilometers from Pattaya in the famous tourist town of Bang Saen, there is also a functioning Buddhist temple, beloved by tourists, called Wat Saen Suk. A kind of museum has been created on the territory of a huge garden, the sculptures of which tell the guests about the posthumous fate of two groups of people - the righteous and sinners. This temple is a great place for those who wonder: "What will happen after death?"

Most of the temple or 70% of the territory is the Hell zone. It is here that a huge number of sculptures of sinners are presented, who are tormented and punished for their sins during their lifetime. The sculptures are not entirely real and not very human-like, but their execution is impressive. Too impressionable and sensitive people should not look at these horrors in Hell.

The central place in the hell zone belongs to two sculptures - a woman and a man, which look rather unpleasant. Around them are figures with the heads of different animals, each has its own inscription in English. Thanks to this, one can immediately understand what sin each of the animals means. Around this whole composition there is a cauldron in which sinners are boiled.

At the entrance to the Hell zone, visitors will find an encouraging sign: "Welcome to Hell." This inscription is advised to be treated without humor, because what awaits visitors inside will not leave anyone indifferent.

The sculptures are all different and very interesting: sinners are boiled in a boiling cauldron, burned or hanged in front of the people, and various parts of the body are also cut off. Those who harm the plant and animal world are turned into different animals.

Paradise Zone

The Paradise Zone is a theme park decorated with a lush garden for the righteous. Basically, here you can see numerous sculptures of the famous Buddha and his saints. They sit in the shade of trees and quietly meditate.

On the territory of the Paradise zone there is a large and beautiful pond in which Thai turtles swim. Near the pond you can buy food and feed the animals. In addition, in Paradise you can positively influence your own karma in other ways:

• buy birds in cages and release them into the wild, having done a good deed;
• feed the fish in several ponds;
• almost every sculpture has holes for donations.

Temple workers explain to all tourists how to correctly calculate the amount of donation in the Paradise zone. You need to donate as many baht as the sum of the last two digits of your year of birth and age. For example, a person born in 1994 in 2017 must donate 116 or 117 baht (94 + 22 or 23 years old).

On the territory of paradise in the temple, you can buy a variety of figurines and attributes, each of which symbolizes a certain direction. All of these religious items are considered to be part of Thai culture.

Working hours

The Temple of Hell and Paradise near Pattaya is open every day from 08:00 to 19:00. Entrance to the temple and museum complex is free for everyone, however, at every step you are forced to make a donation.

It is best to go to the temple from Monday to Thursday, because on weekends or holidays there are a lot of tourists and locals in the territory. The resort town of Bang Saen is famous among tourists for its magnificent beaches, which sometimes are not even overcrowded.

Travel agencies in Pattaya offer to purchase an individual tour, which includes a visit only to the temple of Hell and Paradise. The cost of the tour per adult is 500 baht. This price includes a round-trip transfer, a visit to the temple and the sculptural complex.

How to get there?

Geographically, the temple is located in the small province of Chonburi, southwest of Pattaya. The fastest way to get to the temple is by taxi, drivers charge about 500-600 baht per car one way. Thus, it will be more economical to travel by taxi in the amount of four people.

In order to get to the temple on your own, you need to know at least a little the map and imagine the direction of travel. First you need to take a tuk-tuk in Pattaya, which will take you to the exit from Pattaya to the Sukhumvit highway. The cost of the trip will be 10 baht. On a busy highway, you can catch a bus or minibus with Bang Saen written on it. You will have to go about 30 minutes, the price of the trip will be 50 baht. Upon arrival in the town, you can walk to the temple on foot or take a tuk-tuk.

The Temple of Hell and Paradise is included in the popular Pattaya tour, which is held several times a week and is called "Discovery". Such a tour is designed for the whole day and involves visiting holy places - temples, historical sites and religious monuments.

Temple of Hell and Heaven on the map

On this map you can see where the temple of Hell and Paradise is located.

Local residents have a belief that it is necessary to come to the temple of Hell and Heaven at least once a year in order to repent and atone for their sins - to visit the territory and leave a donation. Each figure has its own meaning and description of sin, as well as the opportunity to sin.

The resort town of Bang Saen is located, the main attraction of which is Wang Saen Suk Hell or the Temple of Hell and Paradise.

The garden at the Buddhist monastery presents numerous sculptural compositions illustrating the posthumous fate of sinners and the righteous.

sculpture temple

What will happen after death? There is no person of any religion and culture who would not be interested in this eternal question. All religions preach the concept of posthumous punishment for sinners. A visual sculptural illustration of the Buddhist hell is this very peculiar place.

"Welcome to Hell!" - such an encouraging inscription welcomes visitors at the entrance. It should be taken seriously, because the spectacle to be seen can upset overly impressionable people. The Temple of Hell and Paradise is divided into 2 unequal parts, with 80% of the territory set aside for hell.

According to Thai belief, donations made in the Garden of Hell can ward off misfortune. Money must be dropped into a hole in the belly of the sculpture at the entrance to the garden. The number of baht donated must equal the sum of the last 2 digits of the year of birth and age in years. You can also influence your own karma with good deeds directly in the garden. To do this, you can buy and release birds or feed fish and turtles in the pond.

The beginning of the exposition is calming. Tourists see sculptures depicting the life path of the Buddha, his deeds, communication with students and animals. Other compositions show the righteous meditating or walking in the Garden of Eden under the kind gaze of the Buddha.

They withstood his posthumous judgment and enjoy eternal bliss. One of the compositions just shows two people in court. Then, on the way to hell, there is an alley with images of animals of the year according to the Chinese calendar, and sculptures that condemn non-compliance with simple everyday rules.

hellish sketches

The rest of the temple shows naturalistic scenes of the afterlife torment of Buddhist sinners in hell. We must pay tribute to the creators of the sculptures - they are really impressive and intimidating. The figures look grotesque, which somewhat softens the negative emotions. Nevertheless, the resulting emotional shake-up is forever stored in the memory and is able to influence the further actions of the people who have been here. First of all, this applies to the Thais.

In the center of the man-made hell are gigantic emaciated figures of a man and a woman with exhausted faces and huge tongues. The inscription next to it calls not to succumb to the devilish temptations and to make sacrifices for cleansing from sins.

Next to them is a cauldron with sinners boiling in it. The compositions around clearly show what kind of punishment awaits sinners after death. This is not only about Thais - after all, the explanatory inscriptions are duplicated in English.

The insides of the killers will be pecked out by the birds. The bodies of serial killers will be cut into pieces. The hands of thieves will be cut off, and boiling lead will be poured into the throats of drunkards. For disrespect for elders, they break the spine. The larynx is torn out from foul-mouthed people.

Unenviable are the posthumous fates of violators of traditional moral precepts. Adulterers will be forced to climb up and down a tree with sharp thorns. From above they will be pecked by crows, and from below they will be stabbed with peaks. The stomach of women who used contraceptives is compressed with an iron press.

Rape and abortion are punishable by a stake in the genitals. The face of transvestites after death will be on the navel. According to Buddhist belief, sinners after death turn into different animals according to their sin. Crooks will become toads, bribe takers will become pigs, hooligans will become crocodiles. Defilers of nature will be goats, drug dealers will be cows, and arsonists will turn into snakes.

How to get there

You can come to Bang Saen by hiring a local minibus minibus with a company in Pattaya. Another option is to take a bus to Sukhumvit Highway. Then, after paying $2, take a minibus to Bang Saen. You can get here from Bangkok by bus departing from the Victory Monument metro station.

Travel time is an hour and a half, cost is $3. Wealthy travelers can also use taxi services. The fare from Pattaya is $14 and from Bangkok is $28. On the outskirts of Bang Saen there is a banner pointer to the temple. The green-yellow roof of the monastery also serves as a landmark. You can also ask the locals for directions.

The main visitors to the temple are Thais. Especially a lot of them on Saturdays and Sundays. Farangs (as Thais call foreigners), who do not like fuss, it is better to visit here on weekdays. The temple is open until 18:00. The entrance is free.