Wat

WAT is a buddhist sacred precinct with monks' quarters, the temple proper, an edifice housing a large image of Buddha, and a structure for lessons. For example in Cambodia, a Wat us used to refer to all kinds of places of worship.
Wat generally refers to a Buddhist place of worship, but the technical term is Wat Pootasasna.


A typical Buddhist wat consists of the following buildings(taken from wikipedia):

• chaidei or chedi-usually conical or bell-shaped buildings, often containing relics of Buddha
• vihan - a meeting and prayer room
• mondop - a usually open, square building with four arches and a pyramidal roof, used to worship religious texts or objects
• sala - a pavilion for relaxation or miscellaneous activities
• bot - the holiest prayer room, also called the "ordination hall" as it is where new monks take their vows. Architecturally it is similar to the vihara; the main differences are the eight cornerstones placed around the bot to ward off evil. The bot is usually more decorated than the viharn.
• bibiloteca - Tripitaka library where Buddhist scriptures are kept
• drum tower
• bell tower
• multipurpose hall is a building in a wat. In the past this hall was only for monks to study in, as parian is a Pali word meaning 'educated monk' or 'monk student'.