Wat Thai of Los Angeles

USA, California, North Hollywood

The temple was originally known as the Theravada Buddhist Center and is the first and largest Thai Buddhist temple in USA. Its foundation was laid by the Sangharaja of Thailand in 1972 and the temple was completed in 1981.
The temple occupies 1.6 ha. The principal buildings include the main hall and a cultural center. The main hall was designed by the Religious Affairs Department of Thailand with a traditional Thai temple style and layout. It is rectangular and is 12 m wide and 33 m long. The roof is covered with red and green glazed tiles. The gables face the front and back and the pediments are decorated with a Dharma wheel flanked by two deer. Porticos project from the front and both sides of the hall. Two giant Dharma protectors stand guard by the entrance. The hall houses three Buddha statues. The central statue is a golden Buddha with hands placed in the varada (wish-granting) mudra. There is a seven-tier canopy above the Buddha donated by the Sangharaja in 1980. On the left there is a seated Jade Buddha, which is a replica of the statue at Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok. On the right there is a smaller version of the main Buddha statue with hands in the dhyana (meditation) mudra. Behind the Buddha statues, there is a mural of the Buddha teaching the Dharma to his mother in Trayastrimsa Heaven. The two-story cultural center houses a library, dining hall, and classrooms. The temple is active in encouraging cultural and social exchanges between Thai and local people.