WAT INTHAWAT (1)

Wat Inthawat was situated off Ayutthaya's city island in the northern area, in Hua Ro Sub-district on Ko Loi (1), a small island in front of the Chantra Kasem Palace. The monastery is named after the Hindu God Indra, King of Devas, God of War and God of Thunder and Storms, called Phra In (พระอินทร์) by the Thai people. [Wat In Dawat]

The temple is first shown on a Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1974 CE and was positioned more or less north of Wat Saphan Kluea along Khlong Sai (2), on the campus of the present Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and Technology College (Boat School). A Fine Arts Department map drafted in 1993 CE depicts a monastery in the exact location but denominates it as Wat Jampa (วัดจำปา). Professor Khemnak indicates only six monasteries on Ko Loi and does not mention Wat Inthawat. [1]

A brick mound in situ with a modern vihara constructed on top contains the Buddha image Luang Pho Khao (the white Buddha). The image, sitting on a white lotus-encircled pedestal, was renovated and covered in gold paint. Villagers believe that the statue is of the Ayutthaya era and tend to link the Buddha image with Wat Jampa, sometimes indicating the brick mounds of Wat Inthawat as being Wat Jampa. This fact seemingly has been taken over by the Fine Arts Department as we find on a 2007 FAD map the site correctly denominated as Wat Inthawat, while in brackets Wat Si Jampa (วัดสีจำปา) has been added.

Based on information from villagers in the vicinity, Wat Sri Jampa was situated north of Wat Inthawat and northeast of Wat Khao San Dam. Possibly the image could have been found on the site of Wat Sri Jampa and moved to the school premises. Wat Sri Jampa and Wat Inthawat were likely the same monasteries. There are no traces anymore visible of the monastery above ground level. Historical data about the monastery and its construction are not known.

The site is in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 0.08" N, 100° 34' 47.80" E.

Wat Inthawat/Wat Sri Jampa was one of the six monasteries on Ko Loi. The other temples were: Wat Monthop, Wat Khae, Wat Ngu, Wat Khao San Dam and Wat Saphan Kluea.

Footnotes:

(1) Ko Loi, or Floating Island, is surrounded in the north by Khlong Chong Lom, in the east by the (new) Pa Sak River and in the west by the (new) Lopburi River.

(2) Khlong Sai is a defunct canal once situated off the city island in the northern area, in the Hua Ro Sub-district and, at present, a stretch of the Pa Sak River. Khlong Sai, or Sand Canal, was a small canal cutting through the eastern mainland in front of Wat Khae and Wat Chong Lom, going south towards the present Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and Technology College, where it joined the Front Moat or Khu Khue Na.

References:

[1] Khemnak, Phayao (2010). Wat Monthop (Amphur Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya). Fine Arts Department 3rd Region. pp. 16-7.