Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Ancient Ayutthaya

These pagodas or chedi preserve the ashes of two kings and their brother. They are depicted on the Thai 1 baht coin. The construction of the Royal Palace began simultaneously with the founding of Ayutthaya during the reign of King Ramathibodi I (1350) and ended with King Phraya Himself (1448). Later, in 1448 King Boromotraylokanat ordered to build a temple in this area that became a monastery. After the reign of King Borommatraylokonat, his son, King Ramathibody II, ordered the construction of two pagodas (chedi). An ode from them was to keep the remains of his father and his other brother King Borommarachathirat III. Another pagoda was built by order of King Borommarachanophuttangkun to also keep the royal remains of King Ramathibody II.

Wat Phra Si San Phet was a royal chapel and did not have Sangavasa (the monks did not live there). Wat Phra Si San Phet was used for royal ceremonies and rituals, including giving alms to monks from other temples and performing Wian Tian ceremonies on Buddhist holy days, which includes circling Viharna three times at night with candles, flowers and incense. Alas, there is practically nothing left of the palace, and the whole ancient city looks like isolated groups of well-preserved ruins.

The ancient history of Thailand is not fully known. The counting has been made since 1238, when the first state was founded on its territory - the kingdom of Sukhothai. It existed for about a century and a half, until it was swallowed up by the more powerful and rapidly growing kingdom of Ayuttai. His second name is Siam. But in those days there were continuous wars with Burma and Kampuchea, and in 1767 Ayuttai was destroyed. In 1782, the capital of the Siamese Empire was transferred to Bangkok: over the next hundred years, it turns from a village into the largest city in the country.

Exact copies of them are installed in the royal palace in Bangkok. When Ayutthaya was crushed in 1767, gold, which covered the statue of the Buddha and other artistic treasures, was captured by the Burmese. During the reign of King Rama I (1782 - 1809) during the period of Ratanakosin, King Rama I ordered the transfer of Buddha Phra Buddha Chao Si San Phet from Ayutthaya to Wat Phra Chetuphon in Bangkok and put it in chedi, especially for this purpose. Another important Buddha statue, called Phralokanat, was also placed in this temple around this time.

Traces of Ayutthaya's former magnificence are noticeable even now, when only the remains of several dozen temples remained from the ancient city. On the territory of Wat Si Sanphet, remnants of ceramic water pipes were found in the ground, which indicates high architectural, technical and cultural achievements during the reign of King Narai the Great or Ramathibodi III.

Thais build their temples to their great teacher, their number is already tens of thousands. But building a new temple is considered more merit than maintaining an old one. Buddhists provide the monks with everything they need and donate to temple needs. A Buddhist temple is a whole complex of buildings and monuments located within a courtyard surrounded by a wall.

Such a complex is called wat. Usually the complex consists of a temple, stupas, pavilions for especially significant statues of Buddha, a library, a bell tower, a school, living quarters, gazebos for recreation and other buildings. The richest and most significant watts are supported by the royal family (phra-that, mahatth). Others are in the care of the population. People traditionally come here, bring money, hoping to secure good luck, happiness, safety.

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