Wat Mahathat

History of Wat Mahathat

The temple was founded in 1374 by King Borommaracha I, the third ruler to reign over the new kingdom of Ayutthaya. It was built to house important relics of Buddha and to make it the seat of the patriarch, the "leader" of Buddhist monks in Thailand. A prang (chedi based on the architectural codes of Hindu temples, particularly Khmer), was then erected to enshrine the relics of Buddha. It was then one of the largest at its time, approaching 3 m, all placed on a wide base of 40 m.

And while some sources establish the origin of the temple at the founding of the new city as capital, as early as 1350, what remains certain is that King Borommaracha I (r. 1370-1388) carried out important constructions there, as did his nephew and successor, King Ramesuan (r. 1388-1395), who enlarged the temple and above all gave it its current name, Wat Mahathat, the temple of the great relic.

Wat Mahathat was then the most important temple of its time and represented the center of Buddhism in the kingdom of Ayutthaya. It was also a royal temple, and as such, it was built near the royal palace, which no longer exists. The kings celebrated important ceremonies here, such as the Kathin's royal ceremonywhere members of the royal family distribute new robes to the monks.

Because the city was built around rivers and canals (to see this for yourself, take a look at the intersection between Wat Mahathat and the neighboring Wat Ratchaburana; you'll see the remains of a bridge), the ground was soft and unstable. Consequently, the central prang first collapsed in 1631 during the reign of Prasat Thong (r. 1629-1656), but was restored as early as 1633 and enlarged in the process, reaching a height of 44 meters (not counting the possible spire symbolizing Shiva's weapon, which usually crowns prangs).

When the Burmese invaded and largely destroyed Ayutthaya in 1767, Wat Mahathat was burned, resulting in the site's current appearance. Or almost… The central prang survived the attack, but it was weakened. It suddenly collapsed in 1904, shortly after a photograph, dated around late 1903 or early 1904, captured it in its entirety for the last time. The structure finally crumbled completely in 1911. The base was restored in the 50s by the Department of Fine Arts, giving it its present appearance.

Architecture of Wat Mahathat

The plan of Wat Mahathat follows the concepts of the ancient Khmer temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Temples with pyramidal shapes symbolizing Mount Meru, a mythical mountain considered the axis of the world in Persian, Jain, Buddhist and especially Hindu mythologies. A mountain not to be confused with the Meru volcano located in Tanzania (not far from Kilimanjaro).

1- The area around the head in the roots

We'll start with the most obvious. The area around the head. You'll first pass a sort of stone "cemetery", laterite blocks and remains of Buddha statues stored there.

We pass near a small viharn, where we can already make out the tree that causes this phenomenon, which has become the temple's main attraction (and almost the sole showcase of Ayutthaya). If it weren't for the crowd pressing in front of it to take photos, we could easily walk right past it without noticing… A platform has been set up in front of it for people to sit and take pictures (standing is considered impolite, as a guard on site will be sure to remind you).

As a side note, the crown was nearly damaged during a violent storm a few years ago, which tore off several large branches from the ficus tree that overhangs it. You can see the scar from a large branch that fell on the root next to the crown on the right.

Right next door is another viharn with a seated Buddha statue in the shade of the trees at the far end, giving the whole scene a rather photogenic feel. With your head in the roots nearby, it makes for a lovely introduction to Wat Mahathat.

2- The central prang and the Buddha gallery

Temples like Wat Mahathat were therefore built to symbolize the Hindu and Buddhist view of the universe.

Mount Meru is then symbolized by the central prang (#1 on the map above), placed on a raised platform in the center of the temple, the center of the universe surrounded by oceans. The central prang is surrounded by four smaller ones at each corner of the gallery, which surrounds the main structure. On the same principle as contemporary Thai temples, there were countless images of the Buddha marking out the gallery, once covered with a wooden roof and of which today only piles of stones remain struggling to reconstitute what was once the jewel of the kingdom.

3- Viharn Luang

Located to the east of the prang, this large hall, 40 m long, was the main prayer hall of the monks. It is listed building no. 2 and marked "Main Vihara" on the map, vihara being a Sanskrit term from which the Thai term used today, Viharn, is derived. Its entrance faces due east to face the sunrise while the other side is connected to the cloister.

The remains of the brick pedestal where the main Buddha statue once stood can be seen, while only one column remains standing, from the original two rows that supported the massive roof of this building. Also surviving, with the help of a concrete crutch, is a piece of the facade, allowing one to see the style of opening that temples of the time had as windows (called "False Window" in English, I can't find an exact translation but I think the term that comes close to it in French would be "fenestra en meurtrière").

4- The ubosot (the ordination hall)

Opposite the Viharn, on the west side this time, is the ordination hall (no. 3 on the map). This is where novices were ordained as monks in order to join the monastic ranks. The function of this building, smaller than the Viharn in particular, can be recognized by the steles surrounding the building.

5- The temple chedis and other structures

Numerous chedis surround the building, including those near the famous head. One of them, octagonal in shape, is particularly noteworthy as it is rarer and typical of the Mon style. Some contain statues in the niches surrounding them, and many are leaning precariously, reflecting the fragile nature of the ground.

Several small, secondary viharns can also be found, most of which only have their bases remaining. There are also the remains of the gate to the west of the temple, as well as a small prayer hall with its roof nearby.