Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit

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Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of six first-class royal temples in the country, and its monks belong to the Mahā Nikāya school. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period (1351–1767) and was originally called Wat Salak. After Bangkok became the capital, it sat between the Grand Palace and the Front Palace, so it hosted royal ceremonies and funerals. Over the centuries it was renovated and its status raised by Thai kings. It became Wat Mahathat of Bangkok in 1803 and received its current name in 1996. The temple also houses a Vipassana meditation center. On its grounds is Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand’s oldest Buddhist university, offering programs in human sciences, social sciences, and international studies, with a graduate college. The first class started in 1889, and in 1997 both this university and its fellow Buddhist university became public universities.