The Ubosot (Chapel)
The Ubosot is located in the southern sector of the temple compound and is the principal building, being larger than all surrounding structures. To enter the Ubosot, the visitor must pass through two walls. These separate the building from the rest of the compound, thereby emphasizing its sacred nature. The wall is topped by double sema stones covered with gold leaf. Such stones traditionally designate a Buddhist building where the ordination of monks may be carried out.
The chapel was built during the reign of King Rama I in 1783 in order to house the Emerald Buddha statue which the King had taken from Vientiane in 1779. Previously it had been housed in the nearby Emerald Buddha hall on the Thonburi side of the river. Today this hall has been transformed into the chapel of Wat Arun on the opposite bank of the river. The Emerald Buddha was installed ceremonially on 22 June 1783.