โบสถ์ปรกโพธิ์ วัดบางกุ้ง - Wat Bang Kup

โบสถ์ปรกโพธิ์ วัดบางกุ้ง - Wat Bang Kup was a Wat that we visited when we were on a trip to the Damnoen and Sauak and Amphawa Floating River Markets on the outskirts of Bangkok.

WOW - was the biggest description of this.

The surrounding area was a large sized car park with a lot of people hanging around a tree and then adjacent to this was a Thai Wat. Where in the grass area surrounding it were models of what looked like farm workers?

Then my focus was drawn to the tree - there were so many people hanging around this tree! As I drew closer I remember the stories of the Bodhi Tree - the tree which the Buddha sat under and to the right of where he attained enlightenment. BUT what I found was NOT this.

It was a Banyan Tree and underneath it's roots was a small temple referred to as Bot Prok Po (โบสถ์ปรกโพธิ์).

As people filed in I was made aware that there was a temple under the roots of the whole tree - how on Earth did this happen?

Moving closer it was clear that it is a very popular destination for Thai people to celebrate their Culture and Religion.

Outside and around there was an even great number of things to see

a life-sized doll dressed in traditional Thai dress

traditional bells to ring

places for donations

Muay Thai boxing figures in the adjacent field

Stories were told;

The Holy Wooden Nymph Memorial

A special place which is worth visiting.

I only read this later; 

However this chapel isn't the only important place of the compound. In fact, this temple is an historical significant place, as it was the camp of king Taksin during an attack by the Burmese army in 1768. However after the successful campaign the site was abandoned for almost 200 years, until in 1967 it was redeveloped by the Ministry of Education. - from My unseen Thailand Blog.