Sanctuary of Truth
Speaking of Pattaya, tourists usually refer to this destination as “sin city” because of the endless fun at Pattaya’ s famous walking streets. However, it is regrettable not to mention the uniquely spectacular temples in this beautiful city.
One prominent temple worthy of uniqueness is the Sanctuary of Truth temple, located about 10km from central Pattaya.
One of the concepts behind the Sanctuary of Truth is that human civilization is shaped by truth, art, religion and philosophy. The Sanctuary of Truth is unique in that everything is wooden constructed, and is not nailed to put the pieces of woods together.
The mysterious Sanctuary of Truth
The temple was built 34 years ago, and according to the introduction, it was never completed. The reason for never being completed is that the temple always undergoes remodeling construction over the days, to combat the ravages of time and weather. Although the architecture is quite massive of 105m high, 4 sides facing the sea with each side having a width of 100m, Thai people did not use any nails to connect the pieces of wood together in the construction of the temple. Because it is made completely of wood, people always have to put effort in helping it fight against termites and oxidation.
Sanctuary of Truth
The inside area of the castle is 2,115m², while the temple covers an entire area of 12.8ha, including dolphin ponds, orchid gardens, crocodile and elephant farms. The architecture of the Sanctuary of Truth Temple is inspired by Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and is divided into 4 different wings facing 4 sides. The first wing depicts Chinese charisma. The second wing reminds tourists of the majestic architecture of Angkor Wat. The third wings are imbued with Indian mythology. The final ones are carved in traditional Thai style.
Sanctuary of Truth
At first glance, the temple as a whole looks like it was designed in Thai architecture, but each sculpture of the Truth Temple is influenced by 4 different arts and philosophies of Thailand, Cambodia, China and India. In addition, the castle is surrounded by thousands of amazing statues carved from many different types of woods such as ironwood, rosewood, which were imported from Laos and Cambodia. The temple took 25 years to build and required the efforts of more than 250 sculptors working day and night. The temple has two main entrances at the front and back, facing the sea. Visitors are instructed to leave shoes outside, wear polite discreet outfits before entering to explore the inner world.
Sanctuary of Truth's interior
Sanctuary of Truth
The human world is important in the view of the East, the cultural history from thousands of years, the spiritual deities of the Thai people are clearly displayed on the walls, columns, and the temple’ s ceiling. Truth Castle is also a messenger of peaceful architecture when bringing cultures together; demonstrating the gentle, friendliness and warm welcome of the Thai people.
Sanctuary of Truth view
Currently the castle is open to visit for a fee of 500 Thai baht for adults and 200 Thai baht for children. Around the castle grounds are fully equipped with convenient and thoughtful travel service systems to support domestic and international visitors. The opening hour is from 8am to 5pm.
