Wat Ratchaburana, One of The Oldest Temple in Ayutthaya

Wat Ratchaburana 

Source: ayutthaya2020.com

Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand founded in 1350. Surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea, Ayutthaya was an important trading center in 1700. It was once one of the world’s largest city with population of 1 million people. However, in 1767, the inhabitants were forced to leave the city because it was attacked and burned by the Burmese army. After that occurrence, the city was never rebuilt and remains as a famous archeological site.

There are many temples in Ayutthaya, one of them is Wat Ratchaburana. Wat Ratchaburana was built in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II as a memorial to his two elder brothers. The design of the temple was influenced by Khmer design concept, with the monastery facing the East, where the sun is rising. This temple is outstanding because it has a large prang that symbolize Mount Meru, the center of the physical and spiritual in Buddhism and Hinduism. The prang is surrounded by four smaller towers, in turn surrounded by a gallery enclosing a courtyard. There are an ordination hall (ubosot) and a large assembly hall (viharn). The viharn’s walls are still standing, its wooden roof has long gone. In 1957 the crypt of the Wat Ratchaburana was looted and many precious treasures as votive tablets, golden Royal regalia, gems and Buddha images were stolen. The thieves were caught and some of the treasures were recovered. A year later the Fine Arts Department started excavation and restoration of the temple. Treasures such as Buddha relics, swords, crowns, golden attire and many more were discovered and are now exhibited at the nearby Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. 

Source: https://www.renown-travel.com/historicalsites/ayutthaya/wat-ratchaburana.html

 https://wikitravel.org/en/Ayutthaya

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