Ayutthaya Historical Park - Ayutthaya - Thailand

17/02/2010

 Ayutthaya Historical Park is an ruined old city of the Ayutthaya  just like our Mahamewna Park in Anuradhapura. The two cities have same glories , thousands of ruined Buddhist temples, awasa and palaces. But comparing Autthaya to Anuradhapura or Anuradhapura to Ayutthaya has no sense because each has its own value and story.
The first visit was to Wat Yai Chai Mongkul. It has a long statue of a Sleeping Buddha covered in a yellow Cheevara.  It is said that this was one of the Buddha statues let unharmed when the Burmese invaded and burned down the Ayutthaya city. The hair and the way of the Cheewara was dressed, indicates its own Thai Characteristics.

We moved on to the Buddha house to experience the first Thai way of worshiping the Lord Buddha. as photos are unavailable due to privacy reasons, I`ll explain how it happens. You first buy three buds of lotus. With it comes three sticks of essence,a candle and three leafs of gold.First place the three buds of lotus at the Buddha s flower stand and say the Gatha or prayers, then light the candle and the sticks. Next stick the gold leafs on the Buddha statue and end the rituals with hitting the gong three times. What caught my attention was that they speak of seven days instead of the Buddhas seven weeks and the day a person was born has its own goods and bads depending on that.

Next we moved to visit a Chedi or a stupa as  we say. It was beautiful piece of work which i later found out that it has Ceylonese influence. We can climb the Chedi to see inside and around. The view from up there was so magnificent with araliya flowers and the green grass.

Next it was the Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit temple. It has  a beautiful bronze statue of Lord Buddha. You remove shoes before entering the House of Lord Buddha. There are old remains of statues of Lord Buddha which were built in the Ayutthaya period. Some are  of clay while some are of rock. There were some beautiful Chinese porcelain vases too. Of course, unarguably they had good trading system or Chinese traders might not leave their valuables here.

 Next we entered the neighboring Wat Phra Si Sanphet - the palace premises. There are hundreds of ruined , half ruined  and completely ruined Stupas or pagodas.  This place reminded me of the Polonnaruwa  and Anuradhapura of Sri Lanka. The same hot air with its own majesty boasted by every ashen brick. The famous three pagodas are situated in Wat Phra Si Sanphet. These three chedis have their own Thailand techniques and characteristics.

There are pagodas which indicates various foreign influences and also the old ruined palace of  Ayutthaya period.

Cambodian Influence

                                                          Thai Influence

                                                           

It was so proud and holy to see the majesty of this historical park still holding its head high even after the Burmese burned down their everything and nothing . It was the same feeling (like  at home), back in Sri Lanka  
watching the proud ruins standing high after the Hindu attack long time back.