Wat Maha That, Ayutthaya province, Thailand

Wat Maha That, Ayutthaya, Thailand                                                                                                   

Wat Maha That is the royal temple that houses Buddha's relics.  The temple is located on the city island in the central part of Ayutthay.  It is situated in the east of The Royal Palace in Pratu Chai sub-district.  Phra Na Korn Sri Ayutthaya district, Phra Na Korn Sri Ayutthay Province.  

It is stated in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya that the construction of Wat Maha That's Main Pagoda (Prang) was started by King Borommaracha I in 1374 and completed in King Ramesuan's reign.  The Pagoda collapsed during King Songtham's reign and was renovated in 1633. after King Prasat Thong ascended to the throne.

At the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the monastery was set on fire in the Burmese attack, The abandoned Pagoda fell in decay during the reign of King Rama VI.  Only the symmetrical base with staircases remains.

Wat Mahathat :  Reconstructed

Wat Mahathat was built in early Ayutthaya kingdom (early 20th century BE).  Due to its supremely important position, the temple was the object of constant attention, receiving occasional additions and restorations at the time.  for example, porticos were added to the main prang (Khmere - stylized stupa), in four cardinal directions around the closing years of Ayutthaya kingdom, supplemented by smaller, straggly stupas of varied size, interspersed among the bigger stupas.

The head of the sandstone buddha image

All that remains of this sandstone buddha image is part of its head, while the body has disappeared.  The head is in the style of the Ayutthaya period.  It lies beneath a bodhi tree beside the minor wihans.

Buddha's Head in Tree Roots

The head was once part of a sandstone Buddha image which fell off the main body onto the ground.  It was gradully trapped into the roots of a constandtly growing Bodhi tree.  The stone head has rather flat and wide facial structure with thick eyebrows and big eye lids, straight wide lip, and discernible lip edge, reflecting the art of Middle Ayutthaya Period, presumably around the mid of 1600s.

credit :  sign board Wat Maha That

Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya

The Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya or Ayutthaya in short, is one of Thailand's historical and majestic highlights. Serving as the Thai capital for 417 years (1350 1767: Kingdom of Ayutthaya), it was once glorified as one of the biggest cities in Southeast Asia. During the 17th century, most foreign visitors to Ayutthaya, traders or diplomats alike, claimed Ayutthaya to be the most illustrious and glittering city that they had ever visited. The map of Ayutthaya published in 1691 by Simon de la Loubere in Du Royaume De Siam is proof of such recognition.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya reached its apex in terms of sovereignty, military might, wealth, culture, and international commerce in the 16th century when the Kingdoms territory was extended far beyond present-day Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Ayutthaya even had diplomatic relations with Louis XIV of France and was courted by Dutch, Portuguese, English, Chinese and Japanese merchants.Visitors can explore and appreciate Thai history in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, which is situated only 86 kilometers north of Bangkok. Visitors to Ayutthaya can marvel at its grandeur reflected through numerous magnificent structures and ruins concentrated in and around the city island surrounded by Maenam Chao Phraya, Maenam Pa Sak and Maenam Lopburi.
More importantly,Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, an extensive historical site in the heart of Ayutthaya city, has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage list since 13 December, 1991.
credit : tourismthailand.org