Wat Nawamintararachutis | |
---|---|
วัดนวมินทรราชูทิศ | |
Religion | |
Sect | Thai Buddhism |
Location | |
Location | 382 South Street, East Raynham MA |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Been Z. Wang |
Founder | Phra Promwachirayan [1] |
Funded by | Government of Thailand and private donations [1] |
Groundbreaking | 2011 |
Completed | 2014 |
Construction cost | $60 million [1] |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 700 [2] |
Site area | 110,000 square feet |
Website | |
[1] |
Wat Nawamintararachutis ( Thai: วัดนวมินทรราชูทิศ) 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 35 acres (140,000 m2) 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.
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. [1]
The temple was designed by architect Been Z. Wang and features limestone from Jerusalem, concrete panels from Canada, Italian roofing tiles from Italy, and statues and light ornaments from Thailand. [1] 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. [2] A 4,000 lb statue of Buddha was placed in the building after completion. [2]
The temple was named Wat Nawamin in honour of King Rama IX of Thailand, who was born on 5 December 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.[ citation needed]
The temple is considered to be the largest Thai Buddhist meditation center outside Thailand. [3]
41°53′43.8″N 71°2′0.1″W / 41.895500°N 71.033361°W