Wat Mahathat
Wat Mahathat is one of Thailand’s most popular Buddhist temples, located in Ayutthaya and known for the stone Buddha head braided with tree roots. In Thai, the name wata means “Temple of the Great Relic”. Nowadays, the image of the Buddha’s head is the symbol of the ancient capital of Siam, and Ayutthaya itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Video: Wat Mahathat
Background
During the heyday of the medieval state, the Buddhist Wat Mahathat was the largest in the country. It was a royal monastery and the residence of the head of the Buddhist community or sangha. In 1767, the wat was not rebuilt after a devastating Burmese invasion, so tourists can see the ruinized buildings made of thin burnt bricks.
.The history of the Buddha’s head is shrouded in mystery. According to the most widespread version, a fragment of the statue destroyed by the Burmese had lain in the ground for a long time. Then a bodhi tree grew on the territory of the temple, and with its roots it raised the Buddha’s head to the surface.
History of the temple
Wat Mahathat was begun in 1374, when Ayutthaya was ruled by King Boromoracha I, and completed in the mid-18th century under King Ramesuan. The temple complex followed the traditions of the Khmer style, and the main tower (prang) resembled the shape of a corn cob. The temple area was enclosed by high walls and surrounded by a moat.
>In 1767, the Siamese capital was invaded by Burmese troops. They destroyed all the temples and burned the flourishing city. The conquerors smashed and threw Buddha statues and other shrines of Ayutthaya to the ground.
In 1911, the prang of Wat Mahathat collapsed, and near the ruins for a long time they tried to find hidden treasures. However, it could not be done immediately. Only in 1956, after extensive research around the prang, Thai archaeologists discovered ancient relics. These days, gold-covered animal-shaped boards, fish-like caskets and other valuable objects are kept at the Ayutthaya National Museum.”How to get there
Wat Mahathat is located in the ancient part of Ayutthaya, 80 kilometers north of Thailand’s capital Bangkok. There are various ways to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. Most travelers buy ready-made tours that include a visit to Wat Mahathat.
.There are shuttle buses and minivans from Bangkok’s Ekkamai and Mochit bus stations to Ayutthaya. The buses run frequently, from early morning to late afternoon, and the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is possible to travel to Ayutthaya by train. Trains depart from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station every half hour. To get to Wat Mahathat from Ayutthaya bus station or train station, it is easiest to take a cab or hire a tuk-tuk.
.