Ayutthaya

Wat Chaiwatthanaram sits on the western side of City Island, on the bank of the Maenam Chao Phraya. Wat Chai Wattanaram, dedicated to the memory of the King’s mother in 1630, was designed as a copy of the Angkor Temple.

Wat Chaiwattanaram, one of Ayutthaya’s most popular historic sites, is located on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, on City Island. King Prasat Thong commissioned the construction of the temple in 1630 in honour of his mother; it was designed in the same style as Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, with a large central prang (Khmer-style pagoda) surrounded by smaller prangs to represent Mount Sumeru, the mountain of the gods in Hindu mythology. During the evening hours, the temple takes on an even more mysterious and mystical air due to the illumination.

Houseboats and floating shops clog the waterways that cut across the city. Numerous pagodas and towering spires may be seen. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a monastery on the grounds of the so-called Wang Luang (Ancient Palace), previously housed a Buddha figure plated in around 375 pounds (170 kg) of gold and functioned as the royal chapel. The Wang Lang (Rear Palace) was built on the site of a previous royal garden near the western city wall of Ayutthaya, while the Chantharakasem (Chandra Kasem; Front Palace) is located on the bank of the Pa Sak River. A memorial to a great queen who gave her life to save her husband may be seen at the Chedi Si Suriyothai, and one of the biggest sitting representations of the Buddha can be found in the Phra Mongkhon Bophit sanctuary. The city of Ayutthaya also has a large elephant kraal (walled enclosure), which was last utilized in 1903 for a royal procession. You may also find some very magnificent palaces in the surrounding ancient villages of Bang Pa-In and Nakhon Luang. The tranquil contemporary town is home to Ayutthaya Agricultural College and is connected to Bangkok through road, rail, and water.

One of the most revered temples in the Ayutthaya Kingdom was Wat Mahathat, often known as “the temple of the Great Relic.” The big monastery on the ancient island is home to a massive prang at its heart, as well as a humongous major viharn and ubosot, as well as a plethora of smaller chedis and viharns. Their big centre prang has fallen, and the top half of it is now gone. As of now, nothing but the pedestal stands.

Wat Mahathat was a significant temple in Ayutthaya. It was the holiest site for Buddhists in the Ayutthaya Kingdom since it housed sacred Buddha artifacts and hosted the Buddhist church’s highest spiritual authority.

The temple’s most photographed feature is a stone Buddha’s head that has become entangled in the tree’s roots.

After the death of King Intharacha I, a civil war broke out between his two oldest sons. As a result of their deaths, the King’s third son, Prince Sam Phraya, became the next monarch. On the site where his two elder brothers were cremated, the Prince erected Wat Ratchaburana. At the site where the princes perished, two chedis have been built. During the Burmese invasion in 1767, the temple was severely damaged and pillaged.

The crypt of Wat Ratchaburana was robbed of several priceless items, including votive tablets, golden Royal regalia, diamonds, and Buddha statues, in 1957. The crooks were apprehended and part of the loot was recovered.

The Fine Arts Department began its excavation and restoration of the temple a year later. A plethora of more rare artifacts were unearthed and are now on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, one of Ayutthaya’s most revered temples, has a rich and storied past. This temple, unlike many of Ayutthaya’s other historical landmarks, is still in use as a place of worship and is home to a community of monks. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon is not just a place of worship for the Buddha, but also for King Naresuan the Great, one of Thailand’s most revered monarchs.

Some historians think an ancient Khmer temple complex formerly stood on the site of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon before Ayutthaya was founded. After then, several separate temples were erected here, each with its own name. Upon Ayutthaya’s official designation as the Siamese capital in 1350, King U-thong had the area’s preexisting temple, Wat Chao Phraya Thai, declared to be the country’s official royal temple. Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, or the “Great Monastery of Auspicious Victory,” got its name when King Naresuan successfully defeated a Burmese invasion in 1593, when repair work was performed at the temple and, according to historians, the great chedi was extended.

The Royal Palace of Ayutthaya formerly stood to the east of the massive temple Wat Thammikarat (also called Wat Dhamikaraj). It is unclear when the temple was first built, but its closeness to the city and its size indicate that it was significant during the Ayutthayan era. According to local stories, it existed long before Ayutthaya was founded in the 14th century; if this is true, the current structures would have been rebuilt sometime in the early Ayutthayan era. A massive bronze Buddhist head, made in a manner “going back to the second generation of U Thong art,” was unearthed here, attesting to the area’s history (Ayutthaya: A World Heritage, p. 106). The lion statues (singh) that surround the main chedi are another ancient element that harkens back to the Khmer themes of Angkor, a city that flourished long before Ayutthaya was established.

Treasures from Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Mahathat’s bell towers inspired the establishment of the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. The museum’s opening in 1961 was the first time the public had seen these historic artifacts, and they remain its most popular attractions.

The artifacts unearthed from the two temples’ crypts have been exhibited in a chamber set aside for them, along with descriptions of their significance. Buddha artifacts, gold presents, jewellery, and tablets used in religious ceremonies are among the objects on display.

Located southeast of the City proper, on U-Thong Road, the Temple’s murals are its major draw. Murals on the front wall of the Ubosot represent Lord Buddha vanquishing evil, while those on the interior walls depict the gathering deities and jataka legends. A masterpiece showing the valour of King Naresuan the Great may be found within the Viharn; it has been copied and shown all over the world.

temple of Suwan Dararam Prior to the reign of King Rama I, Ratchaworawihan was known as “Wat Thong” and was built by King Rama I’s father during the Ayutthaya era. After becoming the first king of the Rattanakosin dynasty, Rama I the Great had the temple rebuilt and renamed “Wat Suwan Dararam,” a play on his parents’ names Tong Dee and Dao Rueng. The Phra Ubosot temple, built in the late Ayutthaya style and resting on a concave base reminiscent of a boat, is one such site.