Wihan Klaep of the Vihara of the Paddy Husk is located east of Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit. Historians assume this ruin was part of Wat Chi Chiang Sai, built by King Chai Ratcha (reign 1534-1547 CE) in 1538 CE. This temple housed before Phra Mongkhon Bhophit and was, at that time, already legendary. [1]
Jeremias Van Vliet, a Dutch merchant, wrote the following in 1638 CE: "Previously I mentioned that Phra Chaiyaracha, thirteenth king of Siam, built the temple Phra Chi Chiang, from which place many miraculous things are reported to have occurred. Since these tales are too fabulous, I beg to be excused from relating them. This temple was at one time the largest and the highest of the entire kingdom, but it has been knocked down as a result of lightning and thunderstorms through the years. Many kings undertook to rebuild this temple, but as soon as work began, they had to abandon it because the foremen and laborers were struck by numerous illnesses and died pitifully It was also said that the Brahmans and the monks have a prophecy that this temple can only be repaired by a king who is descended from the pure old family and rightful line of the Siamese kings." [2]
King Prasat Thong (reign 1629-1656 CE) ordered in 1639 CE that the ruins of Wat Chi Chiang be cleaned up and its main Buddha image, Phra Mongkhon Bophit - moved to a location west of the temple, intending to rebuild the temple and to prove - at the eve of the year 1000 of the Chula Sakarat era - he was a rightful king. Most important clerics - Brahmans - believed that the king's act rather had to be defined as treasure hunting.
Jeremias Van Vliet continued in his "Description of the Kingdom of Siam": "A few months ago the ruling king demolished the temple to its very base and had a large copper heathen image which was located there pulled back several rods so that another temple like the last could be built over the image. … However, the Brahmans say that they have seen in the signs in the heavens, that His Majesty would not complete the newly-begun temple but would die before its completion, principally because the rebuilding was not begun out of pure devotion, but out of His Majesty’s hope of finding great treasures in the demolition of the former temple." [2]
King Prasat Thong did finally not rebuild Wat Chi Chiang Sai and survived the temple’s curse - he died of old age in 1656 CE. He had the temple's location levelled and reserved for royal cremation ceremonies. The cremation ground was named ‘Sanam Na Jakrawat’ (1).
Was Wihan Klaep part of Wat Si Chiang Sai? In my opinion not. Wihan Klaep was likely a small temple belonging to the crematory ground called ‘Sanam Na Jakrawat’, meaning the ‘Field in front of the Jakrawat Phaichayon throne hall’. The throne hall was built in 1632 CE during the reign of King Prasat Thong. Initially, it was outside the old palace area, but the king expanded the palace to the east, enclosing the parade ground and this building. The hall was set into the eastern inner wall of the palace, and its upper levels were used for the king to view processions, entertainment, and military exercises on the parade ground. [4]
Sanam Na Jakrawat was the place where King Ekathat (reign 1758-1767 CE), the last King of Ayutthaya, was buried in a mound by the Burmese after he died at the fortification of Pho Sam Ton in 1767 CE after being caught at Ban Chik. His remains were later exhumed and cremated with all possible ceremonies. Another possibility could thus be that Wihan Klaep was established on the cremation site of the last king of Ayutthaya, as it was customary that a temple was built on the cremation ground of a king. [5]
The site is in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 17.68" N, 100° 33' 33.85" E.
