History of Ayutthaya - Temples & Ruins

WAT KA RONG (วัดการ้อง)

Wat Ka Rong or the Monastery of the Crying Crow was located off the city island in
the western area of Ayutthaya in Ban Pom sub-district. The monastery stood on the
south bank of the present Chao Phraya River and in the immediate vicinity of Wat Tha.

Depending of which version of the Ayutthayan chronicles is consulted, sources speak
about Wat Ka Rong or Wat Tha Ka Rong or the "Monastery of the Landing of the
Crying Crow"; Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map of 1926 indicates clearly two monastic
structures being Wat Tha (the Monastery of the Landing) and Wat Ka Rong (the
Monastery of the Crying Crow). The two temples were eventually merged to establish
the present Wat Tha Ka Rong or the "Monastery of the Landing of the Crying Crow".

The Chronicles of Ayutthaya mention the temple's existence for the first time in the mid-
sixteenth century, but the monastery has been likely established much earlier.

Nothing much remains of Wat Ka Rong. On the site of the former monastery a
commemoration pavilion has been erected covering an image of the Buddha. A statue of
a crow standing on top of what was once maybe a part of a toppled chedi, being now
the symbol of the modern-day Wat Tha Ka Rong.

The Royal Chronicles mention the Ka Rong temple quite a few times, as it was situated
close to the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Lopburi Rivers, and nearly opposite the
Grand Palace. When the Hongsawadi (Peguan) army invested Ayutthaya in 1549 the
area became a theater of war. The Peguans encircled Ayutthaya completely. The army
of the Phraya of Tongu, the army of the Lakhoeng, the commissariat, set up their
stockade from Ka Rong Monastery down to the Chai Wa t thanaram Monastery (1) The
armies, which were set up in a circle around the capital, in only one day finished making
a network of bridges of bamboo slats sewn with rattan across all the rivers, streams and
canals so the troops and horses could cross over. [1]

"The King of Hongsawadi, having spoken, marched his army down to Ayutthaya
on the following day, on Wednesday, the tenth day of the waning moon of the
second month, 911, a year of the cock, first of the decade. The army of the Uparat,
the vanguard, set up [BDEF: its stockade] in Phaniat Township. The stockade of
the King of Præ, the left wing, was set up at Thung Wat Photharam Township to
Kò Kæo Canal. The army of the King of Ava, the right wing, set up its stockade at
[E: Thung] Wat Phutthaisawan Township to Takhian Canal. The army of the
Phraya of Tòngu, the army of the Phraya of Cittòng and the army of the Phraya
of Lakhoeng, the commissariat, set up their stockade [BDEF: from] [C: at] [D:
Tha] Ka Ròng Monastery down to Chai Watthanaram Monastery. The army of
the Phraya of Bassein and the army of the Phraya of Sariang, the vanguard of the
main army, set up their stockade at Lumphli [BDEF: Township]. The main army
set up [CF: its stockade] at Wat Pho Phüak Township, on the Pakkhu tax station
rice fields. And the army of Prince Maha Thammaracha set up [E: its stockade] in
Makham Yòng Township behind the royal stockade. The armies, which were set up
in a circle [BDEF: around the Capital] [C: on that occasion], in only one day
finished making a network of bridges of bamboo slats sewn with rattan across all
the rivers, streams and canals so the troops and horses could walk anywhere."

The chronicles recount that Posuphla, the General of the Burmese Armies, at the end of
1766, sent soldiers to establish a stockade at the Monastery of the Crying Crow in order
to build tall forts with bastions, so that they could fire their large guns on the City of
Ayutthaya. The Siamese attacked the Burmese with a boat army. One of their leaders
was dancing with a sword in the hand in front of the boat, probably showing the
Burmese they were not feared and protected by occult incantations. Although he was
shot at by the Burmese and fell in the water, where upon the whole boat army retreated
to the city. [2]

"[Posuphla] advanced [CD: forward] and established [BD: his stockade] [B: in]
[D: at] [BD: the Three Fig Trees. Then he sent men to establish] [B: a stockade
in] [CD: stockades at the Village of the Fort and] the Monastery of [D: the
Landing of] the Crying Crow and [BD: to build] [C: built] tall forts."

The Burmese fort at Wat Ka Rong was one of the forts which started the last cannonade
of Ayutthaya. The Chronicles mention that on Tuesday, the 9th day of the waxing moon
at four o'clock in the afternoon, the large canons of the forts at the Tha Ka Rong
Monastery fired their deadly load on the Royal city, while at the same time combustibles
were set alight under the foundations of the defense walls at Hua Ro, besides the Maha
Chai Fort. The defense wall collapsed around eight o'clock in the evening and the
Burmese made their final assault. Ayutthaya fell that night, never to arise. [3]

"Reaching 1129 of the Royal Era, a year of the boar, ninth of the decade, and
arriving at a Tuesday, the ninth day of the waxing moon in the fifth month, the
ninth day and middle day of the New Years Festival, the Burmese lighted fires to
burn the combustible firewood under the foundations of the walls opposite the
Head of the Sluice beside the Fort of Grand Victory, and the Burmese in the
stockades of the Monastery of the Crying Crow and of the Monastery of the
Jubilant Lady, as well as in each and every other stockade, lit [the fuses of] their
great guns—the guns in the forts and in the bastions—and simultaneously fired
them on into the Capital in volleys from a little past three mong in the afternoon
until dusk. As soon as the walls where they had lit the combustible firewood to
consume the foundations had collapsed somewhat, around the second thum, they
thereupon had [the fuse of] the signal gun lit. The Burmese troops of each brigade
on each side who had been prepared, having accordingly taken their ladders and
simultaneously leaned them against the places where the walls had collapsed and
against other places all around the Holy Metropolis, climbed them and were able
to enter the Capital at that time. Now they lit fires in every vicinity and burned
down buildings, houses, hermitages and the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure,
including the palaces and royal domicile. The light of the conflagration was as
bright as the middle of the day. Then they toured around to chase and capture
people, and to search out and confiscate all their various sorts of valuables,
[whether] silver, gold, or [other] belongings."

The site is situated in Geo Coord: 14° 21' 19.34" N, 100° 32' 35.37" E.

Footnotes:

(1) The Ayutthayan chronicles mention here Wat Chai Watthanaram in the year 1549,
although the latter has been built in the 17th century. A discrepancy and proof that the
Chronicles have been written at a much later stage.

References:

[1] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman - page 47 / Source: Phan
Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, Phra Cakkraphatdiphong & Royal
Autograph.
[2] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman - page 511 / Source:
Phan Canthanumat, British Museum, Reverend Phonnarat, & Royal Autograph.
[3] Ibid - page 520.

Text & photographs by Tricky Vandenberg - July 2010
Updated June 2014

Then he conscripted and had all the army masters advance forward to
establish stockades at the Monastery of the Gold Mountain, at the Village of
the Fort and at the Monastery of the Crying Crow. He had then erect
bastions and build forts so they were tall, take large and small guns up [into
them] and fire them on into the Holy Metropolis. [2]

A stone crow referring to the name of the former monastery

(Pavilion at the site of Wat Ka Rong)

(A stone crow referring to the name of the former
monastery)

(Detail of Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map - Anno
1926)

(Detail of a 2007 Fine Arts Department GIS map -
Courtesy of the Fine Arts Department - 3th Region)