| WAT CHANG 1 (วัดช้าง) |
| Wat Chang or the Monastery of the Elephant is situated off the city island in the southern area in Pak Kran Sub-district (Mu 3). The monastery is located south of Khlong Takhian and there is evidence that it could have been accessed by a side-canal. It is an active temple with the classical monastic structures in situ. The ubosot or ordination hall is aligned in a bit strange northwest-southeast axis. The hall is built in the Late Ratanakosin style (the base of the structure is not curved). The building has a double three-tiered roof, of which the lowest roof is supported by four columns on each of the porches. The two porches are elevated and can be accessed by small naga staircases on the sides. Both porches has two entries into the ubosot. The gables are very nicely decorated with Airavata (Th: Erawan), the mount of the God Indra, and Hongsa, the mount of Lord Brahma (Hindu mythology). There were no traces found of a chedi. An information board in situ states that the establishment of Wat Chang dates from the reign of King Chakkraphat (r. 1548-1569), the King of the White Elephants, at around 1549. The monastery honors its name as all over the premises, sculptured elephants can be seen. The historical background and period of construction of the temple are unknown. The monastery is not mentioned on the older maps of Ayutthaya. |
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| Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - September 2010 Update March 2014 |
| (Main entry Wat Chang) |
| (View of the ordination hall) |
| (Gable of the ordination hall) |
| (Temple premises) |
