| WAT INTHAWAT (วัดอินทาวาส) |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Wat Inthawat was situated off Ayutthaya's city island in the northern area in Hua Ro
sub-district on Ko Loi (1); a small island in front of the Chantra Kasem Palace. The
monastery is named after the Hindu God Indra, King of Devas, God of War and God of
Thunder and Storms, called Phra In (พระอินทร์) by the Thai people. [Wat In Dawat]
The temple is shown an a Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1974 and was positioned
more or less north of Wat Saphan Kluea along Khlong Sai (at present a stretch of the Pa
Sak River), on the campus of the present Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and
Technology College (Boat School). A Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1993
depicts a monastery in the same location but denominates it as Wat Jampa (วัดจำปา).
Professor Khemnad indicates only six monasteries on Ko Loi and does not mention Wat
Inthawat. [2]
In situ is a brick mound with a modern vihara constructed on top and containing the
Buddha image Luang Phor Khao (the white Buddha). The image, sitting on a white lotus-
encircled pedestal, was renovated and covered in gold paint. Villagers refer the statue to
the Ayutthayan Era and tend to link the Buddha image with Wat Jampa, sometimes
indicating the brick mounds of Wat Inthawat as being Wat Jampa. This fact seemingly
has been taken over by the Fine Arts Department as we find on a 2005 FAD map the
site denominated correctly as Wat Inthawat, while in brackets Wat Si Jampa (วัดสีจำปา)
has been added.
Following information obtained of villagers living in the vicinity, Wat Sri Jampa was
situated in fact north of Wat Inthawat and northeast of Wat Khao San Dam. Possibly the
image could have been found on the site of Wat Sri Jampa and moved to the location on
the school premises.
There are no traces anymore visible of the monastery above ground level.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction are not known.
Some remains of the temple were excavated by the Fine Arts Department (FAD) in Geo
Coord: +14° 22' 0.08" N, +100° 34' 47.80" E.
Wat Inthawat was one of the seven monasteries on Ko Loi. The other temples
were: Wat Monthop, Wat Khae, Wat Ngu, Wat Sri Jampa, Wat Khao San Dam and
Wat Saphan Kluea.
Footnotes:
(1) Ko Loi or "Floating Island" is surrounded in the north by Khlong Chong Lom, in the
east by the Pa Sak River and in the west by the (new) Lopburi River. Khlong
Chong Lom has been dug in the early 20th century to reduce the whirlpools near Wat
Tong Pu and the Chantra Kasem Palace, separating Wat Chong Lom from the eastern
mainland. As the Lopburi River and the Pa Sak River were joining near Wat Tong Pu
and the erosive force of the two rivers were destroying the embankment in front of the
Chantra Kasem Palace, the idea rose to deviate the Pa Sak River. This was done shortly
after the digging of Khlong Chong Lom. Khlong Sai, a small canal cutting through the
eastern main land, from Wat Chong Lom to the present Ayutthaya Ship Building
Industrial and Technology College, was widened and deepened. The Pa Sak River
instead of running in front of Wat Tong Pu, changed its course and ran straight from Wat
Pa Kho to Wat Phanan Choeng. [1]
References:
[1] The Quest for the Holy Water: Ayutthaya's Ever-changing Waterways - Sequel I.
[2] Wat Monthop (Amphur Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya) - Phayaw Khemnad (2010) -
Fine Arts Department - 3th Region - page 16-17.
sub-district on Ko Loi (1); a small island in front of the Chantra Kasem Palace. The
monastery is named after the Hindu God Indra, King of Devas, God of War and God of
Thunder and Storms, called Phra In (พระอินทร์) by the Thai people. [Wat In Dawat]
The temple is shown an a Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1974 and was positioned
more or less north of Wat Saphan Kluea along Khlong Sai (at present a stretch of the Pa
Sak River), on the campus of the present Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and
Technology College (Boat School). A Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1993
depicts a monastery in the same location but denominates it as Wat Jampa (วัดจำปา).
Professor Khemnad indicates only six monasteries on Ko Loi and does not mention Wat
Inthawat. [2]
In situ is a brick mound with a modern vihara constructed on top and containing the
Buddha image Luang Phor Khao (the white Buddha). The image, sitting on a white lotus-
encircled pedestal, was renovated and covered in gold paint. Villagers refer the statue to
the Ayutthayan Era and tend to link the Buddha image with Wat Jampa, sometimes
indicating the brick mounds of Wat Inthawat as being Wat Jampa. This fact seemingly
has been taken over by the Fine Arts Department as we find on a 2005 FAD map the
site denominated correctly as Wat Inthawat, while in brackets Wat Si Jampa (วัดสีจำปา)
has been added.
Following information obtained of villagers living in the vicinity, Wat Sri Jampa was
situated in fact north of Wat Inthawat and northeast of Wat Khao San Dam. Possibly the
image could have been found on the site of Wat Sri Jampa and moved to the location on
the school premises.
There are no traces anymore visible of the monastery above ground level.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction are not known.
Some remains of the temple were excavated by the Fine Arts Department (FAD) in Geo
Coord: +14° 22' 0.08" N, +100° 34' 47.80" E.
Wat Inthawat was one of the seven monasteries on Ko Loi. The other temples
were: Wat Monthop, Wat Khae, Wat Ngu, Wat Sri Jampa, Wat Khao San Dam and
Wat Saphan Kluea.
Footnotes:
(1) Ko Loi or "Floating Island" is surrounded in the north by Khlong Chong Lom, in the
east by the Pa Sak River and in the west by the (new) Lopburi River. Khlong
Chong Lom has been dug in the early 20th century to reduce the whirlpools near Wat
Tong Pu and the Chantra Kasem Palace, separating Wat Chong Lom from the eastern
mainland. As the Lopburi River and the Pa Sak River were joining near Wat Tong Pu
and the erosive force of the two rivers were destroying the embankment in front of the
Chantra Kasem Palace, the idea rose to deviate the Pa Sak River. This was done shortly
after the digging of Khlong Chong Lom. Khlong Sai, a small canal cutting through the
eastern main land, from Wat Chong Lom to the present Ayutthaya Ship Building
Industrial and Technology College, was widened and deepened. The Pa Sak River
instead of running in front of Wat Tong Pu, changed its course and ran straight from Wat
Pa Kho to Wat Phanan Choeng. [1]
References:
[1] The Quest for the Holy Water: Ayutthaya's Ever-changing Waterways - Sequel I.
[2] Wat Monthop (Amphur Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya) - Phayaw Khemnad (2010) -
Fine Arts Department - 3th Region - page 16-17.
| Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - May 2011 Reviewed August 2011 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| (Extract of a 1974 Fine Arts Department map - Courtesy Dr. Surat Lertlum, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy) |
| (Brick mound and vihara on ASBITC premises) |
| (Vihara on ASBITC premises) |
| (Brick mound visible) |
| (The Buddha image Luang Phor Khao) |
| (The Buddha image Luang Phor Khao) |
| (Click thumbnail for an aerial view) |