Wat Maha That, Thailand

Address

Wat Maha That Naresuan Rd, Tha Wasukri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Wat Maha That or the Monastery of the Great Relic is located on the city island in the central part of Ayutthaya in Tha Wasukri sub-district. The temple is situated on the corner of the present Chikun Road and Naresuan Road. The monastery stood on the west bank of Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak, an important canal, which has been filled up somewhere in the early 20th century. In ancient times the temple was likely fully surrounded by canals and moats. The structure has been registered as a national historic site by the Fine Arts Department on 8 March 1935 and is part of the Ayutthaya world. The shaded figures are granted some respite from the heat but not from the decay of time. Buddha Monasetry the ruins of Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Puranic Significance

The temple was constructed in 1374 by King Boromma Rachathirat I. A large prang was built to enshrine Buddha relics. The prang collapsed in the early 17th century, after which it was restored and enlarged. A large number of viharns (assembly halls) and chedis have been added during the reign of later Kings. When the Burmese invaded and largely destroyed Ayutthaya in 1767, the Wat Mahathat was set on fire. The central prang collapsed again in the early 20th century and has not been restored. The integrity of the property as the ruins of the former Siamese capital is found in the preservation of the ruined or reconstructed state of those physical elements which characterized this once great city. The urban planning template of the entire island remains visible and intact, along with the ruins of all the major temples and monuments identified in the ancient maps. Wherever the ruins of these structures had been built over after the city was abandoned, they are now uncovered. The designated area of the World Heritage property, which is confined to the former Royal Palace precinct and its immediate surrounding and covers the most important sites and monuments and ensures the preservation of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value. Initially it was intended to manage the remaining historic monuments through complementary planning and protection controls, however, present economic and social factors warrant an extension of the historical park to cover the whole of Ayutthaya Island for the protection of all associated ancient monuments and sites as well as to strengthen the integrity of the World Heritage property. Extending the boundaries of the World Heritage property to include the whole of Ayutthaya Island will bring the boundaries of the property into exact conformity with those of the historic city.