Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the most important temple of Ayutthaya and was situated within the Royal Palace grounds. It served as a model for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. In 1350 CE, Prince U-Thong ordered a palace built in an area called Nong Sano, actually the area in the vicinity of Bueng Phra Ram. The palace contained three wooden buildings named "Phaithun Maha Prasat", "Phaichayon Maha Prasat", and "Aisawan Maha Prasat".

Upon the finalisation of the palace in 1351 CE, he established Ayutthaya as his capital and was bestowed the title of King Ramathibodi I. The original size of the old palace compound is believed to be the same as the area of Wat Phra Si Sanphet today.

Borommatrailokanat (reign 1448-1463 CE), the eighth king of Ayutthaya, built a new palace just north of the area, adjacent to the old Lopburi River, the present city canal, serving that time as the northern city moat. He converted in 1448 CE, the royal pavilions of his predecessors into a sacred religious zone.

King Ramathibodi II's (reign 1491-1529 CE) first act after his throne ascendance in 1491 CE was to cremate the remains of his father Borommatrailokanat and his elder brother King King Boromracha III (reign 1488-1491 CE).

The legend says that in 1492 CE, King Ramathibodi II built two chedi: the chedi to the east was to store his father's ashes; the chedi to the west (the actual middle one) was for his older brother. In 1499 CE, a hall of worship called "Vihara Luang" (Royal Chapel) was built on the grounds. The following year, King Ramathibodi II ordered a gigantic image of Buddha to be cast and installed in Wat Si Sanphet.

This image, representing Buddha in a standing posture, was 16 meters high, and the pedestal was 8 meters long. The statue was named after the temple. The head was 2 m long and 1.5 m wide, while its chest was 5.5 m wide. The bronze core weighed close to 64 tons, while its surface was covered with 343 Kg of gold and took more than three years to complete. It was said that it was the largest and most excellent standing image of Buddha recorded as having ever existed in the world. This statue, called "Phra Si Sanphetdayan", became the main object of veneration in the royal chapel. The temple enshrined also the Phra Buddha Lokanat (Protector of the World) and the Phra Buddha Palelai. Ashes of the members of the royal family were placed in small chedi constructed at the site. The third chedi was built by King Boromracha IV (reign 1529-1533 CE) to house the remains of King Ramathibodi II. The Greek cross-shaped vihara at the west side of the temple was added during the reign of King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE). It is unclear if the square mondop structures adjacent to the chedi were built around this time or later.

When Ayutthaya fell in April 1767 CE, the Burmese sacked and burned the monastery to the ground. All but the chedis were utterly destroyed. Buddha images were taken away and from the larger ones, the gold was melted. The Buddha image of Phra Palelai in the southern chapel was completely destroyed. The partially restored ruin includes all the buildings that survived the sack of 1767 CE.

Ayutthaya Historical Research