Wat Kasattrathirat

Wat Kasattrathirat, or the Monastery of the Great Abode, is an active monastery located off the city island along the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, north of road No 3263 leading to Suphanburi. It is situated in the Ban Pom Sub-district of Ayutthaya and lies at the border of a large field called Thung Prachet.

Besides the ordination hall and the relatively small prang, most monastic buildings are from recent times. Although the history of this temple remains hazy, it is presumed built in the middle Ayutthaya period (1488-1629 CE). The principal prang is thick and round in shape and not as streamlined as the other prangs in Ayutthaya. There are no stairs to access the niche inside the prang. Traces of restoration are, for example, the bell-shaped chedis in the niches, which earlier contained Buddha images.

The temple was renovated in the first reign of the Rattanakosin period (1782-1809 CE) by Prince Khrom Khun Isranurak, a nephew of King Rama I. The renovation was, in essence, a complete overhaul of the temple. The temple then changed its name from Wat Kasattra to Wat Kasattrathirat.

Ayutthaya Historical Research