Cultural Experience:The Sanctuary of Truth, Thailand
I had one of the best experiences in the Sanctuary of Truth. The locals call it Prasat Sajja Tham. It is a construction of religious ethnicity located in Pattaya, Thailand. The building is built entirely on wood and has sculptures that present the Buddhist and Hindu themes. I visited the museum with a group of friends. We had not booked ourselves a tour guide, but we were lucky to join a group that was guided by a worker of the museum. His name was Chaiya. Chaiya said that the temple reflected Buddhism, which is the main religion in Thailand. However, some Indian and Chinese culture can be depicted. The temple is built using Thai architecture, which was used in the Ayutthaya period. The decorative carvings were impeccable.
Chaiyae said that the sculptures told the mythological stories that are told in the stories of the eastern religions. One of these sculptures was called the sun, which he said was a symbolism for the victory of good over evil. Each inch of the building is sculptured; the walls, the pillars, all had a different symbol of either humans or animals. Chaiyae referred to it as a museum of sculptures. The most interesting concept of the building is that it is entirely built out of wood; not even a single metal nail has been used. That is rare to find, especially in this era. Chaiyae also said that the building is far from completion, which explained the hat that we were all given at the entrance. I could spot some craftsmen working on the walls and ceilings.
I was able to ask Chaiyae a few questions. I asked him why only wood was used and not concrete or glass, which is even more affordable compared to local wood. He said that the initial constructor, Lek Viriyaphant, preferred wood as it symbolized nothing in life is permanent. Wood is prone to corrosion, and as years go by, the older parts of the building are replaced with new sculptures. I learned that this was one of the primary teachings of Buddhism.
The sanctuary is not all about the sculptures. Rather, there are many fun activities to indulge in. These include elephant riding, local plays, art, and tradition show, including that dances, boxing, and sword fights. I had the experience of joining in the traditional dance. It was a very interesting dance where they make various formations and involves graceful hand movements. Even if I did not fully understand the language and the formations, I must say it felt good to participate in a foreign culture. Moreover, they wore beautiful jewelry that portrayed how beautiful their culture was. I also got an opportunity to ride an elephant. That was the most adrenaline surging activity that I have ever indulged in and will forever remember it. I realized that rhythm and body action was the foundation of traditional songs. In class, we learned that rhythm dictates motion in song. It determines if a song is slow or fast. It determines the dance moves in a song. The women moved their arms and fingers in a flexible motion like leaves in a breeze, and according to the rhythm of the songs, some wore brass finger nails that looked like claws, and they emphasized the hand movements. The rhythm was created using musical instruments such as hand drums, orchestra, a flute-like instrument called khaen, and other traditional instruments. The rhythm dictated the motion and which the dancers moved. It was an artistic dance. My visit to Sanctuary of Truth gave me a new perception of cultural diversity. I have come to appreciate the beauty of every culture, and I always try to understand people and their different cultures instead of judging them wrongly due to a lack of knowledge.