Wat Na Phra Men

Wat Na Phra Men, or the Monastery in Front of the Funeral Pyre, sometimes called Wat Na Phra Meru, is located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya in the Tha Wasukri Sub-district. The temple is situated along Khlong Sra Bua (1) and the north bank of the Khlong Mueang (2), just opposite the ancient Grand Palace. It was registered as a National Historic Site with the Fine Arts Department on 25 February 1935 CE.

In front of Wat Na Phra Men and opposite the Grand Palace grounds was a cremation ground - hence the temple's name - used for the high ranked. Simon de La Loubère, the French Envoy to Siam in 1687-8 CE, wrote that the king lighted a torch along a rope to fire the funeral pyre from his palace. The king was at that time King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE). The palace building could only have been the Suriya Amarindra Maha Prasat (3), situated opposite the cremation ground.

"If it is the Body of a Prince of the Blood, or of a Lord whom the King has loved, the King himself sets fire to the Pile, without stirring out of his Palace. He lets go a lighted Torch along a Rope, which is extended from one of the Windows of the Palace to the Pile." [1]

History

The temple was constructed during the reign of King Ramathibodi II (1491-1529 CE), the 10th king of the Ayutthaya Suphannaphum/Suphanburi dynasty, in 865 CS (1503 CE) by Phra Indra and received the name Wat Phra Meru Rachikaram. Wat Na Phra Men occupied a prominent place in front of the Royal Palace. As its name indicates, it was established near a cremation area. [2]

King Chakkraphat (reign 1548-1569 CE) captured a lot of white elephants during his reign, and this news crossed the borders quickly. The King of Burma requested again to obtain two animals. Siam turned down the request. In 1563 CE (4), the King of Burma, Bayinnaung (reign 1551-1581), came down with a large army to enforce his request. He captured all the cities in the north and descended on Ayutthaya. King Chakkraphat saw that the Burmese army largely outnumbered him and decided to resolve the issue through discussions. He ordered to erect a royal building with two thrones, equal in height, between the Phra Meru Rachikaram Monastery and the Hatsadawat Monastery. Then he had a jewelled-adorned throne prepared higher than the royal thrones and had a Buddha image to preside over the meeting. The terms imposed by the King of Burma were onerous. Prince Ramesuen, Phraya Chakri and Phraya Sunthorn Songkhram, the leaders of the war party, were to be delivered up as hostages, an annual tribute of thirty elephants and three hundred catties of silver was to be sent to Burma, and the Burmese were to be granted the right to collect and retain the customs duties of the port of Mergui - then the chief emporium of foreign trade. In addition, four white elephants were to be handed over instead of the two initially demanded. King Chakkraphat had no choice but to deliver up to keep a truce. All Siamese prisoners were released, and the Burmese army returned.

"When King Maha Cakkraphat was informed of the contents of the royal letter, he made his decision, “This time their army is exceptionally enormous and it appears to be beyond the capacity of our soldiers to save the Capital. If we do not go out, the monks, Brahmans, inhabitants, citizens and populace will all be faced with perdition and destruction, and even the Holy Religion will be disgraced. We shall have to go out. Even if the King of Hongsawadi does not constantly abide by his promises, as in the royal letter which has arrived, we will see to it that our promises are firmly upheld.” Having so decided, he had a royal letter prepared to specify where he would proceed to and had an embassy carry it out to present to the King of Hongsawadi. Then he ordered officials to go out to erect a royal building with two royal thrones, equal in height and spaced four sòk apart, in the area between Phra Meru Rachikaram Monastery and Hatsadawat Monastery. Then he had a jeweled throne prepared higher than the royal thrones, and had the Holy and Glorious Triple Gems escorted out to preside over the meeting." [3]

In 1670 CE, the year following the first fall of Ayutthaya, Cambodia invaded Siam and camped at the northern side of Ayutthaya. The King of Cambodia thought after the war with the Burmese to find a defenceless, easy-to-capture city, and took the opportunity to settle old scores. His thinking proved wrong as the Siamese capital offered fierce resistance and the Cambodian forces had to retreat with heavy losses.

"The King of Lawaek advanced with his army and halted his elephant in Sam Phihan Monastery. And the enemy troops were posted at intervals to Rong Khòng Monastery and Kuti Thòng Monastery. Then they brought about thirty elephants and halted them in Phra Meru Rachikaram Monastery with about four thousand men." [3]

In 1760 CE, the Burmese King Alaungpaya (reign 1752-1760 CE) invaded Ayutthaya. On the first day of the waxing moon of the sixth month in the morning of 1760 CE, the Burmese positioned their guns again at Wat Na Phra Men (translated by Cushman as the Monastery in Front of the Holy Funeral Monuments) and at the Monastery of the Elephant Landing. They started firing on the Grand Palace during the day and the night and were even able to hit and destroy the spire of the palace. The next day, the Burmese withdrew north to Ava, along the Chao Phraya River. The king of Burma died before reaching the border at Mokalok in Tak province.

Following some versions of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya (RCA), the Burmese King Alaungpaya became ill. However, following the Royal Autograph version, he was wounded by an explosion of a large gun. He returned to his stockade and decided to abandon the campaign. I found, although nowhere mentioned in any of the RCA versions, that the gun burst occurred at Wat Na Phra Men.

"When it was evening, the Burmese gave up on the campaign and crossed over the river to the banks on the side of the Monastery of the Gold Mountain. During the morning of the first day of the waxing moon in the sixth month, the Burmese brought their great guns forward, positioned them at the Monastery in Front of the Holy Funeral Monuments, and aimed and fired them in volleys at the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure and at the Holy Throne Hall of the Eternal Ruler of the Sun both during the day and during the night. They hit the spire of the palace and destroyed it.” [4]

There is a record that Wat Na Phra Men was renovated during the reign of King Borommakot (1733-1758 CE). After the Burmese troops sacked Ayutthaya, Wat Na Phra Men was left unattended for over half a century until Phraya Chai Wichit (Phuek), the city mayor in the reign of King Rama III, restored it between 1835 and 1838 CE. The traditional Ayutthayan style was maintained. Phraya Chai Wichit gathered the left-over antiquities, which were scattered around the city, to keep them at this monastery. More renovations took place in 1914 and 1957 CE. [6]

The ordination hall

The ordination hall faces south and measures approximately 50 m by 16 m. The ubosot has front and back porches with elevated balconies of 4m length in the centre that are used to house a standing Buddha image. Kasetsiri and Wright point out this was a door before, probably for the exclusive use by royalty. [1]

The ubosot’s gable is carved wood primed with black lacquer and covered with gold leaf featuring Vishnu (in Thailand called Phra Narai or Narayan) mounted on Garuda, on top of the demon head Rahu (5) placed between two Nagas and flanked by 26 celestial beings (deva – thewada). Each of Vishnu’s four hands is holding his classic items a trident, a discus, a conch and a baton. On top of Vishnu stands a royal-tiered umbrella, and behind his head is an arch-framed halo. The gable of Wat Na Phra Men is considered one of the most beautiful pieces of artistic work from Ayutthaya.

At the southern front entrance, there were three doors before. The large middle door was later blocked, leaving only a high window. On the northern side, there are two small doors. The doors are teak wood (Mai Sak) decorated with lacquered motifs. Over the doors, there are marble slabs with ancient Khmer characters and Thai numbers. Inside the ubosot, there are two rows of eight massive octagonal pillars with lotus-bud capital supporting the wooden roof structure. The wooden beams are beautifully carved, and the ceiling is adorned with wood carvings showing stars and the moon.

The interior walls of the ordination hall were covered with a painting of 80 Buddhist monks with Bhikku (nuns) behind them. The painting was white-washed when the ubosot was restored. The hall walls are windowless but have an opening consisting of a vertical slit to allow some light to enter and to ventilate, called false windows – a decorative style showing a window-like pattern. The incoming sunlight reflecting on the golden Buddha image gives a stunning effect. The use of false windows in Siam existed already in the middle Ayutthaya period but had its roots much earlier, as we can see its use already at Angkor.

The crowned Buddha

The most important Buddha image in the ordination hall was “Phra Buddha Nimit Wichit Maramoli Sri Sanphet Boromtrailokanat”. The crowned image sits in the Subduing Mara posture and measures 6 m high and 4.50m wide across the lap.

The image was cast of metal and covered with gold leaf. The peculiarities of Phra Buddha Nimit Wichit Maramoli are that the image is attired in royal dress complete with crown, earrings, necklace, chest and arm ornament. It presumably dates to the reign of King Prasat Thong, when such Buddha images became popular in the late Ayutthaya Period. [7]

Kasetsiri and Wright state that the Buddha image could refer to Maitreya (6), the Buddha of the future. Another explanation referred to the legend when Lord Buddha dealt with Jambupati. The legend of Jambupati was very popular before in Burma. The records recall the humbling of a boastful king, Jambupati, by the Buddha. The story tells how the Buddha had Jambupati brought before him, having first transformed himself into a mighty king, set in an incomparable palace. Witnessing the Buddha in all his majesty, Jambupati accepts the dharma and becomes a monk. [8]

The statue is the most beautiful and significant crowned Buddha image left following the war with Burma in 1767 CE.

The small vihara

Wihan Noi or Wihan Khian (the Hall of Paintings) was constructed in 1838 CE by the order of Phraya Chai Wichit during the reign of King Rama III to house Phra Khandharat. The hall measures 25 m by 11.50 m and has front and back porches. In front of the vihara, there are two staircases ascending an erased platform from both sides. The roof of the vihara is covered with terra cotta tiles.

The door panels, measuring 2.60 m by 0.60 m, are carved in a bas-relief of birds, animals and deities with intricate flowery flames. It is believed to have been made in the middle Ayutthaya period, as in most of the late Ayutthaya period, door panels were inlaid with mother of pearl and had more refined designs.

The gilded stucco designs at the windows and doors consist of European and Chinese foliate designs, popular during that time, especially the Chinese design of a flower vase and a small altar set.

The inside walls contain faded mural paintings of the King Rama III period, mainly erased by seeping water and no maintenance. The painting covers the entire wall from the floor to the ceiling with no dividing lines. The colour tone was dark, such as dark red or dark green. The stories depicted in the painting were continuous, with lines of trees or roads or building structures to break up the episodes. Following pictures remain to be seen: A painting depicting a king sitting in a pavilion on the water, pointing his finger. In front of him are his servants. The pavilion pillars are carved in the naga form, and many rowing boats carry offerings. The second painting shows a procession with dancers, musicians and soldiers. At the head of the parade, people carry bamboo rockets and three monarchs sitting on elephants, with the last one just departing from the city gate. There are two men gesturing like they are trying to stop the parade while the people in the procession look startled. The third painting shows a long and winding procession taking place at night. The people on the elephant are dressed as commoners. People are holding torches, and a monk carries an alms bowl wrapped in red cloth.

Phra Khandharat

The Buddha image ‘Phra Khandharat’ or ‘Phra Sri Ariamet Trai’ was carved in green sandstone, approximately dating to the 7th–9th century CE, and stylistically compared to Gupta-influenced (early Mon) Dvaravati images. The name of the Image is likely borrowed from ‘Gandara’, an ancient kingdom and region located in what is now north-western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, centered around the Peshawar and Swat valleys.

Dvaravati refers to a network of Mon city-states located in central Thailand, in the lower Chao Phraya valley, where Buddhist art flourished from approximately the 6th to the 9th–11th centuries. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, a distinctive Mon-Dvaravati Buddha style emerged scholars note it incorporated aesthetic influences from both north and south India—particularly Gupta and Amaravati/post-Gupta traditions—while also developing recognizable local Mon variations. The dating to the 7th–9th centuries is based on stylistic and art-historical analysis, which compares them with securely dated Indian examples and considers regional archaeological contexts. [9]

The image stands 4.20 meters tall, three times the height of an average person. It is the largest seated Buddha figure, initially displaying the Dharmachakra mudra, with his feet resting on a lotus pedestal in a Western style, legs spread apart.

The story suggests that the image was moved from Wat Phra Men (Wat Phra Meru) in Nakhon Pathom. It certainly originated from the Nakhon Pathom area. Still, it is not confirmed that the Phra Khandharat was originally from Wat Phra Men, as a makara throne fragment belonging to the statue could not be verified as excavated at that location. Jean Boisselier (1912-1996), a French archaeologist, also concluded that this Buddha probably does not come from Wat Phra Men. [10]

Several sandstone Buddha images in the Dvaravati style were brought to Ayutthaya during the Ayutthaya period. Two white stone Buddha heads were found at Wat Phraya Kong, and one nearly complete statue was discovered at Wat Khun Phrom in Ayutthaya. Unfortunately, the statue pieces were mixed up, and the parts no longer fit together, making restoration a problematic task. The Buddha image of Phra Khandharat ended up at Wat Maha That in Ayutthaya at an unknown date. The governor of Krung Kao during Rama III's reign moved the Buddha image to Wat Na Phra Men, where it remains today. Restorations of the image were also carried out at that time.

The Dvaravati statue at Wat Na Phra Men differs from the four sandstone Buddha images that once stood in the porches of the stupa at Wat Phra Meru in Nakhon Pathom District. Four large Buddha images were seated around a central structure. A nearly identical Buddha statue, the Dhyani Buddha Vairocana, is found inside the cella of the Buddhist temple of Candi Mendut in Indonesia.

The Buddha image has several notable features, as noted by Kasetsiri and Wright. The halo around the image's head features tongue flames, indicating Chinese influence. The short hemline, which exposes the left knee, looks different from others in Thailand, but it resembles images of Maitreya created during China's Tang dynasty. Both hands of the image rest on the knees, which differs from typical Thai postures, but this was apparently arranged later. [11]

The image has undergone significant restorations. The two forearms are likely not original, which might explain the unusual gesture (mudra) of the hands resting on the knees. Most likely, the right hand was initially raised in a teaching gesture (vitarka-mudra), while the left hand probably rested on the knee with the palm facing upward.

Pierre Dupont (1908-1955 CE), a notable French archaeologist, states that the folds of the upper garment, such as those seen in front of the legs, are almost entirely inauthentic. The lotus base was reconstructed, and the feet—adjusted with the dress using a system of tenons and mortises—seem to have been taken from a different piece. However, Dupont admitted that the head was genuine, with its large hair curls turning counterclockwise, unlike the specification in the canonical texts, which states that the hair curls must turn clockwise. The nimbus or halo also appeared authentic, even though its shape resembles Chinese style. [12]

The French archaeologist Jean–Yves Claeys (1896-1978 CE) identified a fragment of a cross-piece featuring an open-mouthed makara turning outward, from which a lion emerges. He believed it belonged to the throne of Phra Khandharat. The upper cross-piece of the throne likely supported stylized, hybrid aquatic creatures (makara), which are now missing. The artifact is currently housed at the Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum. It is made of the same limestone and may have originally been part of the throne of this Buddha image. The site where the artifact was found is thought to be Wat Phra Men in Nakhon Pathom, but this is not certain. [13]

Wat Na Phra Men is in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 45.70" N, 100° 33' 31.46" E.

Footnotes:

(1) Khlong Sra Bua, or the Lilly Pond Canal, is a canal situated in the northern area off the city island in the Khlong Sra Bua district. The waterway splits from Khlong Hua Ro between Wat Ngiu (defunct) and Wat Si Liam. The canal has its mouth at the City Canal (Khlong Mueang) between Wat Na Phra Men and Wat Mai in front of the northeastern corner of the Grand Palace. The canal was a shortcut in the old Lopburi River.

(2) Khlong Mueang, or the City Canal, is a stretch of the old Lopburi River on the northern side of Ayutthaya's city island. Many people believe it is a manufactured canal. The Lopburi River descending from the north, ran in the Ayutthaya period around the city and joined the Chao Phraya River near Bang Sai (below Bang Pa-In). Khlong Mueang is a remnant from that time. Today, the canal starts at Hua Ro and has its exit at the confluence with the Chao Phraya River near Hua Laem.

(3) The Suriya Amarinthon Maha Prasat Throne Hall was one of the three throne halls of the royal palace and stood on the northern side beside the Lopburi River. It was probably built when King Prasat Thong enlarged the palace in 1636 CE. The hall was constructed of brick and laterite, and the roof was covered with tin tiles. It had a five-level mandapa spire and porticos on all four sides. Its floor was higher than that of any other building in the group. A corner of this floor on the northern side is still standing. The Suriya Amarin had four long wings in the cardinal directions and no portico or connecting corridor. The wing extending out on the northern side was an evening pavilion, likely on a raised level for seeing over the city wall to the river. [Baker, Chris (2013). The Grand Palace in the Description of Ayutthaya: Translation and Commentary. Journal of the Siam Society, Vol 101.]

(4) All the RCA except Luang Prasoet put this event in 1548 CE, but 1563 CE is the generally accepted date for this event. The Burmese stood before Ayutthaya in 1564 CE.

(5) Rahu is mentioned explicitly in a pair of scriptures from the Samyutta Nikaya of the Pali Canon. In the Candima Sutta and the Suriya Sutta, Rahu attacks Chandra, the moon deity and Suriya, the sun deity, before being compelled to release them by reciting a brief stanza conveying their reverence for the Buddha. The Buddha responds by enjoining Rahu to release them, which Rahu does rather than have his "head split into seven pieces". The verses recited by the two celestial deities and the Buddha have since been incorporated into Buddhist liturgy as protective verses (paritta) recited by monks as prayers of protection. [Wikipedia - data retrieved on 11 September 2009]. For the Thais, it is the demon who causes eclipses.

(6) Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pāli) is the future Buddha of this world. Maitreya is a bodhisattva who, in the Buddhist tradition, is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to the scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Maitreya is typically pictured seated, with either both feet on the ground or crossed at the ankles, on a throne, waiting for his time. He is dressed in the clothes of either a Bhiksu or Indian royalty. Maitreya currently resides in the Tusita (Dusit) Heaven. [Wikipedia - data retrieved on 11 September 2009]

References:

[1] Loubère, Simon (de la) (1693). A new Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam (2 Tomes). London. Edited by John Villiers. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1986. pp. 123-4). In Part III, chapter XX (Of the Burials of the Chineses and Siameses).

[2] Krom Sinlapakorn (1968), Phra Rachawang lae Wat Boran nai Jangwat Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya (Fine Arts Department).

[3] Cushman, Richard D. & Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. Bangkok: The Siam Society. pp 44-9.

[4] Ibid. p. 77.

[5] Ibid. p. 483.

[6] Saipradist, Aphivan (2005). A critical analysis of heritage interpretation and the development of a guidebook for non-Thai cultural tourists at Ayutthaya World Heritage site.

[7] Ayutthaya, a world heritage (2000). pp. 128-9.

[8] www.aziatischekunst.com - data retrieved 11 September 2009.

[9] Bhirasri, Silpa (2015). Thai Buddhist art (architecture). Fine Arts Department. Bangkok.

[10] Revire, Nicolas (2010). Iconographical Issues in the Archeology of Wat Phra Men, Nakhon Pathom. Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 98.

[11] Charnvit Kasetsiri & Michael Wright (2007). Discovering Ayutthaya. Toyota Thailand Foundation.

[12] Revire, Nicolas (2010). Iconographical Issues in the Archeology of Wat Phra Men, Nakhon Pathom. Journal of the Siam Society, Vol. 98.

[13] Ibid.

No 1: The wall gate is 4.50 metres wide the wall is made of brick-and-mortar, on the south side, 69 metres wide, and recessed on the southeast side. The north side is 77 metres wide. The long sides are 139 metres and with a small gate in the wall. On the east and north side is a walkway leading to the Sala Kan Parian (1) and the monks' dormitory, 1 metre wide each. The outer wall was damaged and destroyed on almost every side.

No. 2: A mondop or mandapa, made of brick-and-mortar, 5 metres wide and long on each side.

No 3: A Chinese pavilion, made of brick-and-mortar, built in the reign of King Rama III. There are two buildings in front of the mondop, one building, 3.80 metres wide, 4.60 metres long and in front of the ordination hall, one building, 4.50 metres wide and 5.40 metres long.

No 4: A Bodhi tree in front of the ordination hall on the left. The large tree must have been planted when this temple was built.

No 5: The courtyard in front of the ordination hall is 7 metres wide and long on each side there are two stone lions, one broken and one damaged, and four flower pot stands.

No 6: There are two front and two back gates in the outer wall, 1.40 metres wide. The outer wall is rectangular and made of brick-and-mortar with lotus edges, 30 metres wide and 63 metres long. The height is 90 cm, and its thickness is 30 cm.

No. 7: The boundary stones (Bai Sema) stand on a rectangular base made of brick-and-mortar with lion's feet and lotus decoration. The height is 1.80 metres. The slate boundary stones are double, 1.03 metres wide and 1.33 metres high.

No. 8: The stairs leading up to the terrace of the ordination hall. There are stairs in the front and behind, two stairs on each side with a width of two metres. The terrace of the ordination hall is 23 metres wide and 56 metres long.

No. 9: The ordination hall has front and back doors, two doors on each side. Each door is one metre wide and made of teak wood with beautiful water patterns. Above the front door, there is a marble slab inscribed with Khmer characters. In the middle, there are Thai numbers, and there are figures of three stucco bats.

No. 10: The ordination hall was built in 1503 CE and repaired in 1835 and 1957 CE. The ordination hall is 17.50 metres wide and 41.50 metres long, facing south. In front of the ordination hall and the middle, there is a porch 4 metres wide, 6.40 metres long, used to house a standing Buddha image holding an alms bowl. In front of the ordination hall, there are blue ‘chofa’ (b), rooster leaves, swan tails decorated with glass and a gold-plated wand decorated with glass. The teak wood gable is decorated with carvings of Lord Vishnu riding Garuda and stepping on the naga's head, and there are images of Rahu on both sides attached to the naga's head. It is surrounded by 26 ‘Thepphanom’ (angels), of which in the back there are 22 wooden carved images of ‘Thepphanom’, covered with gold, which is very beautiful. Inside the ordination hall, there are two rows of square brick pillars, eight each with a diameter of 1 metre. The 4.20 metre high pillars are decorated with patterns. New repairs, painted the floor green with a yellow rice-wrapped design. The pillar heads are in lotus form in the Ayutthaya style. The ceiling is carved in the shape of gilded stars. On the walls of the former ordination hall, there were paintings, but unfortunately, the people who restored the hall later did not know the value and covered them with white plaster. There were window openings (3) similar to those at Wat Thammikarat, Wat Maha That, Wat Racha Burana and the walls of the ordination hall of Wat Borom Phuttharam. on the island city of Ayutthaya. But because the ordination hall of Wat Na Phra Men is vast, therefore, there are 29 windows on each side, east and west, allowing very little light to enter the interior, making it dark. As His Royal Highness Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong stated that Western art differs from the East and the treatment of sacred images is different. There are white slate stone slabs with a height of 30 cm and a length of 1.30 metres, located next to the pillar near the door at the front of the ordination hall on the left, inscribed with Kapayani (one of the most popular types of Thai poetry) about the repair of this ordination hall.

No. 11: A Buddha image adorned with ornaments on a rectangular brick base with a width of 8.80 metres and a length of 10 metres, and a height of 1.30 metres. The base support one of the largest Buddha images, the main Buddha image facing south in Marawichai posture, Ayutthaya period, gilded, lap width 4.50 metres, height 6 metres.

No. 12: The porch behind the ordination hall has a width of 5 metres and a length of 9 metres. It enshrines a stucco Buddha image in meditation posture from the Ayutthaya period lap width 1.50 metres, height 2.50 metres.

No. 13: A prang, rebuilt in 1835 CE, made of brick-and-mortar, on a rectangular base 9.50 metres long on each side, with stairs in four directions. Antiques and artefacts were brought inside, but in 1939 CE, the stupa was destroyed, and the relics were stolen.

No. 14: A square chedi, 12 metres away from the outer wall of the ordination hall, built of brick-and-mortar on a rectangular base - broken top - probably built in 1835 CE, width and length 3 metres on each side.

No. 15: Bell-shaped chedis on a round base, made of brick-and-mortar and arranged in a row, 4.50 and 5.20 metres in diameter. The tops are broken.

No. 16: White vihara, 13 metres from the outer wall of the ordination hall, probably built together with the ordination hall, made of brick-and-mortar, 12 metres wide and 10 metres long, used to be a place of worship. The standing Buddha image in the posture of giving forgiveness, sandstone, Lop Buri period has been moved to the National Museum. Later, the roof and walls of this temple were damaged. Phrakhru Phutthawihan Sopha (Liang), the abbot, has renovated and used it as a place of meditation. Currently, it houses the ashes of the abbot of this temple.

No. 17: The small vihara 3.50 metres from the outer wall of the ordination hall enshrined an important Buddha image. People call it the Wihan Phra Gandharrat or Wihan Khian and was built in the reign of King Rama III in 1838 CE by Phraya Chai Wichit (Phuek). The vihara faces south and is 11.50 metres wide and 25 metres long. In the front, there is a white stone Shiva lingam, with a height of 1.6 metres and a diameter of 21 cm, on a white stone base of 1.32 metres wide, 1.30 metres long and 16 cm thick. In front of the vihara, there is a porch and stairs leading up to the front on both sides. There are three steps each stair width is 97 cm, height is 1.20 metres. The roof of the vihara is made of clay tiles. Front and back, there are ‘Chofa’ with rooster leaves, swan tails decorated with mirrors and gold-plated wands decorated with stained glass. The gable is a picture of flowers and birds, gilded and decorated with green and blue glass. There is a single door width 1.08 wide and 2.60 metres high. The wooden door is carved with Thepphanom, Garuda, Naga, and birds, gilded with gold, width 60 cm, height 2.60 metres, thickness 12 cm. It is a very beautiful carved wooden door. Above the door is a gilded stucco-patterned arch with glass decoration and an image of a compass arrow inside the vihara. On the walls, there are coloured paintings on all four sides written when this vihara was built. Nowadays, the paintings are faded. There is a window on the east and the west side. Above the windows, there is an arch with Chinese patterns. Inside the vihara is a limestone Buddha image from the Dvaravati period. It was initially in the posture of the first sermon the hands and feet were renovated. The image is facing south. The lap is approximately 1.70 metres wide and 5.20 metres high. According to a white stone inscription on the wall on the east side near the entrance, Phraya Chai Wichit moved the image from Wat Maha That on the island of Ayutthaya and noted it came from Sri Lanka. Still, Luang Boriban Buribhand stated that it did not come from Sri Lanka and probably was moved from the Phra Pathom Chedi area in Nakhon Pathom Province in the reign of Rama V by Prince Damrong Rajanubhab when the latter was the Minister of the Interior as he has dug patterned stone frames surrounding the Buddha images at Wat Phra Men, Nakhon Pathom Province, which could be comparable with the Buddha image at Wat Na Phra Men, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. So, he knew that it originated from Phra Pathom Chedi. Probably built around 800 C.E. according to the Gupta art, there are five sitting stone Buddha images in the Dvaravati period that have been found in the world, namely:
1. At Mondop Mendut, Java (Indonesia), one statue.
2. The principal Buddha image in the ordination hall of Wat Phra Pathom Chedi, one statue.
3. On the terrace of Phra Pathom Chedi, two damaged Buddha images.
4. At Wat Na Phra Men, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, one statue.

In 1958 CE, a culprit stole two white stone Buddha heads from the Dvaravati period, in the ordination hall of Wat Phraya Kong, in Samphao Lom Sub-district, Village No. 2, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. He sold them to merchants in Bangkok, but the Fine Arts Department officials found them, seized the heads and prosecuted the culprits. These two Buddha heads are now kept in the National Museum Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. There is also a Buddha image enshrined in front of Wat Khun Phrom, on the right bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite the island of Ayutthaya on the south side in Samphao Lom Sub-district of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. It is a white stone Buddha image from the Dvaravati period, which was moved to Wat Khun Phrom from Wat Phraya Kong, smaller in size than the Buddha image at Wat Na Phra Men.

No. 18: Hall of Worship 5 metres away from the temple wall, built in 1945 CE at the time of Phrakhru Phutthawihan Sophon (Samruai) and the devotees built and dedicated Kusala Tawai - Phutthawihan Sophon (party), which was initiated before, width 12.50 metres, length 17.51 metres.

No. 19: The monks’ dwellings (kutis) 5 metres away from the temple wall. There are eight kutis for monks and novices.

No. 20: The ‘Tha Nam’ pavilions, located along the Sra Bua Canal, near the monks’ dwellings: 1 pavilion, 4.50 metres wide and 4.50 metres long, and near the front of the chapel 1 pavilion, 3 metres wide and 4 metres long, made of zinc-roofing.

Footnotes:

(1) Sala Kan Parian (Thai: ศาลาการเปรียญ, study hall) is a multipurpose hall in a wat. In the past, this hall was only for monks to study in, as 'Parian' is a Pali word meaning 'educated monk' or 'monk student'.
(2) Chofa is a Thai architectural decorative ornament that adorns the top at the end of temple roof ridges (gable apex), resembling a tall thin bird and looking hornlike, symbolising the mythical bird Garuda.
(3) The walls were windowless, having vertical slit openings, bringing ventilation and providing at the same time a diffused light into the inside.

Standing Buddha in Bayon style displayed at the Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum was acquired from Wat Na Phra Meru. The image dates back to the first half of the 13th century CE (Suphatradit Diskul 2004). The Buddha statue, dressed in royal attire, stands in a blessing pose. It holds the right hand up, while the left hand hangs down beside the body. The Buddha's appearance follows the Bayon style of art, wearing a robe that covers the body with a rectangular hem. It has a belt around the waist, with both the cloth and the belt featuring patterns.

AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH

WAT NA PHRA MEN

(Phra Khandharat in the small vihara of Wat Na Phra Men – Picture taken April 2013 CE)

(Fragment of a cross-piece with an open-mouthed makara – Picture taken January 2016 CE)

The Ground Plan of Wat Na Phra Men

KHMER IMAGES DISCOVERED AT WAT NA PHRA MEN

Selected PICTURES

MAPS

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)

HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA

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