History of Ayutthaya - Temples & Ruins

WAT KHRUTHARAM (วัดครุธาราม)

Wat Khrutharam or the Monastery of the Garuda (1) is located off the city island in
the northern area of Ayutthaya in Khlong Sra Bua sub-district. The temple is situated on
the east bank of Khlong Sra Bua in a locality called Thung Kaeo and can be accessed
by the road running parallel with Khlong Hua Ro (old Lopburi River). Wat Bua stood
opposite the Sra Bua canal and Wat Ngi o was north of Wat Khrutharam, along Khlong
Hua Ro.

Originally the temple was called Wat Khrut. (2)

Wat Khrut stood in the center of a community which basic occupation was to mold large
storage jars mainly for water called "Nang Loeng" (นางเลิ้ง) or free translated "Large
Ladies". [3] After molding, the jars were dried and then fired following open bon fire
techniques. Excavations in relation to the ceramic production in this area
were undertaken by the Fine Arts Department in 2000-2002. (See: Khlong Sra Bua
Kilns)

The main purpose of these water jars we can find back in de La Loubère's Historical
Relation: "For when the waters retire, and they are filled with mud, and perhaps
with the ill juices which they take from the earth, or when the river is re-entered
into its channel sufficiently muddy, they are more corrosive, do cause disenteries
and lasks, and cannot be drunk without danger, till they have them stand in great
jars or pitchers, the space of three weeks or a month." [4]

Wat Khrut was one of the thirty known land markets outside the city of Ayutthaya. [3]

The monastery is still in use by the Buddhist clergy. The oldest area in the temple
compound has a walled ordination hall or ubosot built in the Early Ayutthaya style (1351
- 1488). A small chedi is situated southeast of the ubosot.

The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, editions of the British Museum and Reverend
Phonnarat, mention that King Suriyamin [r. 1758-1767] constructed this temple in the
year 1759 at the same time as the Monastery of the Lamut Tree. [5]

The temple features on 1974, 1993 and 2007 Foreign Arts Department maps. On the
1974 and 1993 FAD maps, the monastery is called Wat Khrut (วัดครุท). Wat
Khrutharam is situated in Geo Coord: +14° 22' 38.54" N, +100° 33' 29.16" E.

There is also a remaing brick mound of a temple called Wat Khrut in Tha Wasukri sub-
district in a locality called Thung Khwan.

Footnotes:

(1) Suparna and Garuda (Th: Suban and Khrut) are Sanskrit terms, denoting a race or
races of enormous, monstrous birds, whose chief occupation seems to be watching for
and pouncing on the weaker Naga serpents. The Garudas can only conquer the weaker
members of the family (218) as their power is not equal to that of the superior Nagas.
(192) The bird Garuda is the bearer of Vishnu, who is commonly represented in pictures
as being borne along by that bird. (212) Phya Khrut is the great enemy of the Nagas,
but not otherwise evil-disposed. (258) [1]
(2) The suffix "tharam" is used in Sanskrit for a comparative form (great - greater, strong
- stronger); hence Wat Khrut - Wat Khrutharam. [2]

References:

[1] The Wheel of The Law - Henry Alabaster (1871) - Trubner & Co, London.
[2] A Sanskrit grammar; including both the classical language, and the older dialects, of
Veda and Brahmana - William Dwight Whitney (1979) - Leipzig, Breitkopf and Härtel -
page 159 #473.
[3] พรรณนาภูมิสถาน พระนครศรีอยุธยา เอกสารจากหอหลวง
(ฉบับความสมบูรฌ์) - Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the
palace - Dr Vinai Pongsripian - Bangkok (2007) - page 86-87.
[4] A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam - Simon de La Loubère (1986)
Translated by A.P. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press - page 21.
[5] The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya - Richard D. Cushman - page 472 / Source
British Museum & Reverend Phonnarat.