Wat Mongkolratanaram (Thai: วัดมงคลรัตนาราม) is a small Thai Buddhist temple located in Berkeley, California. A wat, it mainly attracts Thai American Buddhists, many of whom are students at the University of California, Berkeley, but it also draws in many local, non-Buddhists who come searching for the authentic Thai food public brunch on Sundays[1] or attend its frequent cultural events. The temple is home to a Thai school for San Francisco Bay Area youth, as well as Berkeley's Thai Cultural Center.[2]
| Wat Mongkolratanaram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | 1911 Russell St, Berkeley, California |
| Country | United States |
  Shown within California | |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°51′22.69″N 122°16′14.46″W / 37.8563028°N 122.2706833°W |
In 2001, it marked 25 years of being a temple by completing renovations to its Victorian-era building to adapt the architecture to temple style.[3]
In February 2009, a group of neighbors sought to shut down the Sunday public brunch, citing litter and traffic.[4] The Zoning Adjustments Board of Berkeley voted 8 to 1 to keep the Sunday brunch, and the board chair "praised the temple for being a positive influence" in the neighborhood.[5] The brunch runs on donations; visitors pay for tokens and exchange them for dishes.[6]
The Thai-born Ajahn Manat is the current abbot of Wat Mongkolratanaram.
In 1997, the temple was home to the East Bay chapter of the Cypherpunks.[7]
See also
edit- Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, Redwood Valley, California
- San Fran Dhammaram Temple, San Francisco
- Vajiradhammapadip Temple, Centereach and Mount Vernon in New York
- Wat Boston Buddha Vararam, Bedford, Massachusetts
- Wat Buddhananachat of Austin, Del Valle, Texas
- Wat Buddhasamakeevanaram, Bossier City, Louisiana
- Wat Buddhanusorn, Fremont, California
- Wat Carolina Buddhajakra Vanaram, Bolivia, North Carolina
- Wat Florida Dhammaram, Kissimmee, Florida
- Wat Mettāvarānaṁ, Valley Center, California
- Wat Mongkolratanaram, Tampa, Florida
- Wat Nawamintararachutis, Raynham, Massachusetts
- Wat Pasantidhamma, Carrollton, Virginia
- Buddhism in the United States
References
edit- ^ Hosseini, Mariam (12 August 2011). "Berkeley's Hidden Brunch Spot". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ "About". Thai Cultural Center of the San Francisco Bay Area. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Lorenz, Matt (26 June 2001). "Thai community dedicates temple". The Berkeley Daily Planet. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Fowler, Geoffrey A. (10 February 2009). "Brunch as a Religious Experience Is Disturbing Berkeley's Karma". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ^ Bhattacharjee, Riya (18 February 2009). "Zoning Board Allows Thai Temple To Continue Sunday Brunch". The Berkeley Daily Planet. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Elison, Meg (19 September 2013). "Bay's best brunches". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Slater, Dashka (14 March 1997). "Secret Agents". Bay Area Weekly. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
External links
edit | This article about a Buddhist place of worship is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Alameda County, California building and structure-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |