| WAT HATDAWAT |
Wat Hatdawat is located north of the city island near Wat Na Phra Men. An unnamed
road passes in front of it, so it is easy to find. It is categorized as a reconstructed ruin.
Wat Hatdawat is aligned with an east/west orientation. It is comprised of three primary
structures. There is a reconstructed sermon hall, which consists of only an outline of its
basic foundation layer. One chedi rests at the front of the sermon hall. This bell-shaped
chedi is constructed in the Sri Lanka style. It is basically round with multiple rings leading
to its spire. The harmika is present and the spire has at least 30 rings. This chedi sits on a
square foundation that is decorated with brick balustrades. Excavations around this chedi
revealed stucco pieces of elephant statues (similar to the ones at Wat Maheyong). These
elephant images suggest that Wat Hatdawat may have been constructed during the Early
Ayutthaya period. A second bell-shaped chedi rests at the back of the sermon hall. This
has an octagonal base, and its upper portions are missing from the top of its relic
chamber. In addition, the monastery walls have been rebuilt at the ground level, and
there are traces of smaller chedi in situ. There is still part of a moat surrounding Wat
Hatdawat.
Records show that this temple served as site of an armistice treaty between Burma and
Siam. King Chakkraphat (1548-1569) signed this truce in 1549 to gain a short reprieve
from a war that began when he refused to present a white elephant to the Burmese King
(Bayinnaung) as a gift. King Chakkraphat realized that the Burmese army was too
enormous to withstand without causing massive destruction and perdition to monks,
Brahmin priests, inhabitants, and citizens of the city. Therefore, he decided to accept an
invitation to meet with the Burmese King to negotiate a truce. He ordered that officials
erect a royal building and two royal thrones equal in height and space. These were
constructed at Wat Phra Meru and Wat Hatdawat (Cushman 48-49).
King Chakkraphat then offered to give the Burmese king four white elephants instead of
the two that he had originally requested. The Burmese King asked that he also be
allowed to take Siamese Prince Ramesuan and some other men back to the Burmese
capital as collateral (a customary practice at that time). Although he resisted, King
Chakkraphat was forced to relent. In return, the Burmese king consented that Ayutthaya
could retain all the inhabitants of provincial cities that the Burmese had captured. They
were then released. Prince Ramesuan, Phraya Cakri, and Phra Sunthon Songkhram
collected their children and wives and departed for Burma in accordance with the royal
decree (Cushman 48-49).
There is evidence that Wat Hatdawat had become an active temple for a short period
during recent times. An employee of the Fine Arts Department, known as Uncle Mian,
recalls his time as a novice monk at this monastery. He was attracted to Wat Hatdawat
because a monk at this temple was well-known for his skills with magic. This
mischievous monk wasn’t strict and often broke from clerical conventions. The monk
was fond of drinking alcohol and sometimes ordered his students to kill hens for his
meals. A chief monk in the city questioned him about his consumption of alcohol. The
monk challenged his interrogator to bring him the teapots as evidence. When the lids
were removed it was discovered that the interrogator’s teapot was the one containing
alcohol (Sukphisit 45-46). Such magic tricks probably didn’t help Wat Hatdawat to
survive long as an active temple. It fell into ruin once again, and the Fine Arts
Department was placed in charge of it as a historic site.
road passes in front of it, so it is easy to find. It is categorized as a reconstructed ruin.
Wat Hatdawat is aligned with an east/west orientation. It is comprised of three primary
structures. There is a reconstructed sermon hall, which consists of only an outline of its
basic foundation layer. One chedi rests at the front of the sermon hall. This bell-shaped
chedi is constructed in the Sri Lanka style. It is basically round with multiple rings leading
to its spire. The harmika is present and the spire has at least 30 rings. This chedi sits on a
square foundation that is decorated with brick balustrades. Excavations around this chedi
revealed stucco pieces of elephant statues (similar to the ones at Wat Maheyong). These
elephant images suggest that Wat Hatdawat may have been constructed during the Early
Ayutthaya period. A second bell-shaped chedi rests at the back of the sermon hall. This
has an octagonal base, and its upper portions are missing from the top of its relic
chamber. In addition, the monastery walls have been rebuilt at the ground level, and
there are traces of smaller chedi in situ. There is still part of a moat surrounding Wat
Hatdawat.
Records show that this temple served as site of an armistice treaty between Burma and
Siam. King Chakkraphat (1548-1569) signed this truce in 1549 to gain a short reprieve
from a war that began when he refused to present a white elephant to the Burmese King
(Bayinnaung) as a gift. King Chakkraphat realized that the Burmese army was too
enormous to withstand without causing massive destruction and perdition to monks,
Brahmin priests, inhabitants, and citizens of the city. Therefore, he decided to accept an
invitation to meet with the Burmese King to negotiate a truce. He ordered that officials
erect a royal building and two royal thrones equal in height and space. These were
constructed at Wat Phra Meru and Wat Hatdawat (Cushman 48-49).
King Chakkraphat then offered to give the Burmese king four white elephants instead of
the two that he had originally requested. The Burmese King asked that he also be
allowed to take Siamese Prince Ramesuan and some other men back to the Burmese
capital as collateral (a customary practice at that time). Although he resisted, King
Chakkraphat was forced to relent. In return, the Burmese king consented that Ayutthaya
could retain all the inhabitants of provincial cities that the Burmese had captured. They
were then released. Prince Ramesuan, Phraya Cakri, and Phra Sunthon Songkhram
collected their children and wives and departed for Burma in accordance with the royal
decree (Cushman 48-49).
There is evidence that Wat Hatdawat had become an active temple for a short period
during recent times. An employee of the Fine Arts Department, known as Uncle Mian,
recalls his time as a novice monk at this monastery. He was attracted to Wat Hatdawat
because a monk at this temple was well-known for his skills with magic. This
mischievous monk wasn’t strict and often broke from clerical conventions. The monk
was fond of drinking alcohol and sometimes ordered his students to kill hens for his
meals. A chief monk in the city questioned him about his consumption of alcohol. The
monk challenged his interrogator to bring him the teapots as evidence. When the lids
were removed it was discovered that the interrogator’s teapot was the one containing
alcohol (Sukphisit 45-46). Such magic tricks probably didn’t help Wat Hatdawat to
survive long as an active temple. It fell into ruin once again, and the Fine Arts
Department was placed in charge of it as a historic site.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| (Click button for aerial view) |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Text & photographs by Ken May - September 2009 |