 | |  |
Ayutthaya Travel Guide - with Wired Destinations
Ayutthaya Temples – with Wired Destinations
 Wat Phra Sri Sanphet
A line of three bell-shaped stupas of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet has symbolized Ayutthaya. The temple was built under King Boromatrailokanat’s command in 1448, which was named after the large Buddha image in standing posture. The image was 53 feet high, covered with 330 pounds of gold. Unfortunately, the statue existed no longer than the fall of Ayutthaya. Being smashed into pieces by the Burmese invaders, King Rama I of Rattanakosin Era ordered to collect the debris and stored them in a stupa of Wat Po in Bangkok. A chapel of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace in Bangkok mirrors the monastery in Ayutthaya as no monks inhabit except for occasionally royal attendance.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
Situated opposite to the Ayutthayan islet, its large stupa can be obviously seen from afar. After his two sons were cremated, King U-Thong built the monastery in 1357, dedicated to Buddhist monks. At that time, it was named ‘Wat Phra Kaew’.
In 1592, the towering stupa was built to celebrate King Naresuan’s victory in an elephant duel over a Burmese viceroy. However, most historians are against this theory. They asserted that the construction took place later during the reign of King Narai because Persian building technique noticeably exists, in accordance with the period when the Persians arrived in the kingdom. Though it’s actually named ‘Wat Chai Mongkhon’, people normally call the temple ‘Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon’ because of its grand stupa.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Beyond the islet of Ayutthaya, a line of richly-craved Prangs facing the Chao Phraya River is the landmark. Unprecedentedly, Wat Chaiwatthanaram was established with influence of Khmer architecture. It is believed that King Prasatthong gave the order to build the temple as a symbol of his gratitude towards his mother. But the historian Prince Damrong Rachanuphap noted that it was a place to commemorate a triumph over Cambodia.
Wat Na Phrameru Rachikaram
Ayutthaya Culture Sites
|
