tWat Khok Muang, or the Monastery of the Purple Mound, is situated on Ayutthaya’s city island in Hua Ro Sub-district. You can find it on Ho Rattanachai Road and the crossing with Soi 4, close to the Ayutthaya Boat Museum.
The restored temple ruin is located somewhere in the middle between Khlong Pratu Khao Pluak and Khlong Nai Kai, north of Wat Khok Rak (defunct) and south of Wat Khok Kraphrao (defunct).
Wat Khok Muang has the classical east-west alignment and consists of three structures an ordination hall, a stupa and a bell tower.
The brick chedi stands on a square platform west of the ordination hall. It has a triple base formed by graduated levels typifying the Traiphum or Three Worlds: the Sensuous World, the Fine-Material World and the Immaterial World. The anda has three rabbets at each angle. The entry is in the east, and stairs can reach the reliquary chamber.
As there is a fragment of a boundary stone beside the tree, the remaining brick foundations are likely from an ordination hall or ubosot. The tree is growing from the foundation where the altar would have been.
A twelve rabbeted-angled bell tower stands east of the ordination hall.
The architectural style suggests that it was constructed in the late Ayutthaya period.
The history of this monastery is unknown, but given its small size, it must have been a local village sanctuary.
Maps
Wat Khok Muang shows on a mid-19th century from an unknown surveyor, close to Khlong Nai Kai. Wat Pet stood in the northwest, while Wat Pa Kup was in the southwest. Wat Langka stood opposite the canal in a northeastern direction. The map indicates no chedi.
On Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's map of 1926 CE, Wat Khok Muang stands east of Wat Lat, north of Wat Khok Rak and southwest of Wat Salak. Phraya Boran was the Superintendent Commissioner of Monthon Ayutthaya from 1925 till 1929 CE.
The monastery ruins are approximately in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 24.76" N, 100° 34' 21.99" E.
