As the winter breeze blew in, it was the ideal day for a young man to be ordained. A group of monks were reciting prayers and the temple grounds were busy with local pilgrims when I arrived at Wat Yai Suwannaram in the coastal town of Phetchaburi. Although the place had come back to life, the ordination ceremony was held without a colourful procession or music band, according to disease control measures.
This historic temple has long been a popular tourist attraction to admire traditional Thai architectural arts and craftsmanship dating back to the Ayutthaya period. In 2018, a monk’s former abode was transformed into the Suwannaram Art Gallery, with the goal of creating…
