Varadis palace

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The Varadis Palace ( Thai : วัง วร ดิ ศ , pronunciation: [ wang woradit ] - Woradit Palace ) is a royal palace in Bangkok , Thailand . It was the residence of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab from 1911 until the 1932 revolution.

location

The Varadis Palace is located on Thanon Lan Luang ( Lan Luang Street , Thai: ถนน หลานหลวง ) in the Bangkok district ( Khet ) Pom Prap Sattru Phai, which is now heavily used .

history

Prince Damrong first lived in a palace that was built for him on the spot where the Thanon Charoen Krung (Charoen Krung Road) crosses the Ong Ang Canal ( Khlong Ong Ang) . The bridge over the canal still bears his name today: "Saphan Damrong Sathit" (Thai: สะพาน ดำรง สถิตย์ ). As the traffic on the Thanon Charoen Krung got heavier, the bridge was replaced by a more modern, wider structure during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) . Since the Thanon Charoen Krung also had to be widened, a city gate called "Sam Yot" (three points) , part of the city wall and even part of the palace of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab was demolished.

Then Prince Damrong had a new palace built on a 40 Rai (about 6.4 hectares) property on the then northwestern outskirts, which belonged to his mother. Queen Saowabha and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) donated money, and other members of the royal family donated building materials for the construction of the new residence. Some aristocratic families later donated furnishings. The design of the palace came from the German architect Karl Döhring . The foundation stone was laid in 1910 and the palace was ready for occupancy in 1911.

Prince Damrong lived in the Varadis Palace until the 1932 coup . Although he was no longer directly involved in politics, he was removed from office. At the end of 1932 he retired to a villa near Hua Hin , a year later he moved to Penang , where he lived for several years. Only when the situation in Bangkok had eased did he return to the Varadis Palace. Prince Damrong died there on December 1, 1943 at the age of 81.

In 1996 the palace was renovated and opened to the public as a museum and library.

Design of the palace grounds

  • Right at the entrance is the library, which has a collection of more than 7,000 Thai and English titles from history.
  • At the other end of a small tropical garden is the “Prince Damrong Rajanupab Museum”, the actual palace building. Prince Damrong's grandson, MR Sangkadis Diskul, supported by his son ML Panadda wanted to preserve the inheritance of the house and set up a museum in the prince's residence. The furnishings of the rooms should be kept in their original state.
    • On the ground floor there are rooms of historical importance, such as the dining room, in which selected students who wanted to study abroad were taught western behavior and table manners. The prince was arrested here on June 24, 1932. The lobby is divided into two parts, one side Chinese, the other to the west. On the Chinese side more furnishings that were with mother of pearl - inlaid were decorated. They were given to the prince by King Chulalongkorn. Three statues of traditional Chinese deities symbolizing wealth, prosperity and longevity ( Chinese   福 禄 寿 , Hokkien Hok Lok Siew ) are also on this side. On the western side hang pictures of the four main religions, Buddhism , Christianity , Hinduism and Islam , which Prince Damrong believed their teachings should be studied by everyone.
    • The prince's study, his dressing room and bedroom as well as a relaxation room are located on the upper floors. The most important room, however, is the prayer room, in which there are various Buddha statues , a historical manuscript edition of the Tipi sowieaka and valuable memorabilia from all the kings of the Chakri dynasty . The prayer room is located just above the main entrance, which should bring good luck and blessings to visitors entering or leaving the house.

literature

  • Naengnoi Suksri: Palaces of Bangkok: Royal Residences of the Chakri Dynasty . Thames & Hudson Ltd., London 1996, ISBN 978-0-500-97446-9

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sirichai Narumit: Old Bridges Of Bangkok. The Siam Society, Bangkok 1977 (without ISBN), page 85
  2. ↑ "Revisiting history - The Varadis Palace of Prince Damrong" article from the Bangkok Post from May 15, 2005 (in English)

Web links

Coordinates: 13 ° 45 ′ 20 "  N , 100 ° 30 ′ 47.8"  E