| WAT NGIW (วัดงิ้ว) |
Wat Ngiw or the "Monastery of the Cotton Tree" was located off the city island in the
northern area of Ayutthaya in Khlong Sra Bua sub-district, Moo 6.
The site can be accessed via the road running parallel with Khlong Hua Ro. Wat Ngiw
stood on the west bank of the old Lopburi River, a bit further north of Wat Khruttharam
on the opposite side of the road in an area called Thung Kaeo. The temple was
just south of the confluence of Wat Khlong Sra Bua and the old Lopburi River.
Traces remaining are some shattered bricks. Villagers are presently living on
the premises of the former temple.
Its historical background and period of construction are unknown.
The monastery is indicated on 1974 and 1993 Fine Arts Department (FAD) maps.
Wat Ngiw was situated in Geo Coord: +14° 22' 44.78" N, +100° 33' 29.46" E.
This temple could also have been known under the name of Wat Thorani. My
reasoning for this is based on the following points:
In the "Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace" we find the
following text: บ้านริมวัดธรณีเลื่อยกระดานไม้งิ้วไม้อุโลกขาย translated as "The
village next to Wat Thorani sold sawn cotton and bridal couch tree timbers". (1) [1]
Thung Kaeo or "Crystal Field" is bordered on the west and north by Khlong Sra Bua; on
the east by Khlong Hua Ro and in the south by Khlong Mueang. Wat Thorani should be
located in Thung Kaeo, as it was an element of one of the seven villages named in
the text and being situated in that specific field (ทุ่ง).
The text in reference is given in a certain order and the villages are summed
up clockwise. Wat Thorani follows after Wat Khrut, today called Wat Khruttharam (2).
Wat Phrao follows after Wat Thorani. We can as thus conclude that Wat Thorani should
have been situated between Wat Khrut and Wat Phrao. Wat Ngiw does.
The sawing of timber is a local economic activity. Often a temple is named (or renamed)
after a specific activity in its immediate area. May be a bit far sought, but the monastery
could have been called after the timber which was sold in that area i.e. wood of the
cotton tree.
Footnotes:
(1) ต้นงิ้ว: Cotton tree or Bombax ceiba (kapok) / ต้นอุโลก: Hymenodictyon orixense
or Bridal couch tree.
(2) In Sanskrit the suffix "taram" (Th: ธาราม) is used for the comparative degree
or often having also a merely intensive value. [2]
References:
[1] พรรณนาภูมิสถาน พระนครศรีอยุธยา เอกสารจากหอหลวง
(ฉบับความสมบูรณ์) - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the
palace - Dr Vinai Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 87.
[2] Sanskrit grammar: including both the classical language, and the older dialects, of
Veda and Brahmana - William Dwight Whitney (1975) - Harvard University Press.
northern area of Ayutthaya in Khlong Sra Bua sub-district, Moo 6.
The site can be accessed via the road running parallel with Khlong Hua Ro. Wat Ngiw
stood on the west bank of the old Lopburi River, a bit further north of Wat Khruttharam
on the opposite side of the road in an area called Thung Kaeo. The temple was
just south of the confluence of Wat Khlong Sra Bua and the old Lopburi River.
Traces remaining are some shattered bricks. Villagers are presently living on
the premises of the former temple.
Its historical background and period of construction are unknown.
The monastery is indicated on 1974 and 1993 Fine Arts Department (FAD) maps.
Wat Ngiw was situated in Geo Coord: +14° 22' 44.78" N, +100° 33' 29.46" E.
This temple could also have been known under the name of Wat Thorani. My
reasoning for this is based on the following points:
In the "Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the palace" we find the
following text: บ้านริมวัดธรณีเลื่อยกระดานไม้งิ้วไม้อุโลกขาย translated as "The
village next to Wat Thorani sold sawn cotton and bridal couch tree timbers". (1) [1]
Thung Kaeo or "Crystal Field" is bordered on the west and north by Khlong Sra Bua; on
the east by Khlong Hua Ro and in the south by Khlong Mueang. Wat Thorani should be
located in Thung Kaeo, as it was an element of one of the seven villages named in
the text and being situated in that specific field (ทุ่ง).
The text in reference is given in a certain order and the villages are summed
up clockwise. Wat Thorani follows after Wat Khrut, today called Wat Khruttharam (2).
Wat Phrao follows after Wat Thorani. We can as thus conclude that Wat Thorani should
have been situated between Wat Khrut and Wat Phrao. Wat Ngiw does.
The sawing of timber is a local economic activity. Often a temple is named (or renamed)
after a specific activity in its immediate area. May be a bit far sought, but the monastery
could have been called after the timber which was sold in that area i.e. wood of the
cotton tree.
Footnotes:
(1) ต้นงิ้ว: Cotton tree or Bombax ceiba (kapok) / ต้นอุโลก: Hymenodictyon orixense
or Bridal couch tree.
(2) In Sanskrit the suffix "taram" (Th: ธาราม) is used for the comparative degree
or often having also a merely intensive value. [2]
References:
[1] พรรณนาภูมิสถาน พระนครศรีอยุธยา เอกสารจากหอหลวง
(ฉบับความสมบูรณ์) - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the
palace - Dr Vinai Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 87.
[2] Sanskrit grammar: including both the classical language, and the older dialects, of
Veda and Brahmana - William Dwight Whitney (1975) - Harvard University Press.
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| Text, maps & photograph by Tricky Vandenbergh - May 2009 Reviewed September 2011 |
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| (Former location of Wat Ngiw) |
| (Click thumbnail for an aerial view) |
| (Extract of a 1974 Fine Arts Department map - Courtesy Dr. Surat Lertlum, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy) |
| (Extract of a 1993 Fine Arts Department map - Courtesy Khun Supot Prommanot, Director of the 3th Regional Office of Fine Arts) |