Wat Ngu, or the Monastery of the Snake, was situated off Ayutthaya's city island in the northern area, on Ko Loi (1), in the Hua Ro Sub-district.
The temple is shown on a Fine Arts Department (FAD) map drafted in 1974 CE and was positioned southeast of Wat Monthop and southwest of Wat Khae. This temple was not more shown on a Fine Arts Department map drawn in 1993 CE.
To find out more information on this monastic structure, the author visited the spot in May 2011. The following information was gathered: A villager recalled that Wat Ngu existed before Wat Monthop, and the latter monastery replaced the first. A small monastic structure on the premises of Wat Monthop is said to have belonged once to Wat Ngu (this information is probably wrong as Wat Monthop was already mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya). Other villagers knew about the existence of Wat Ngu, indicating it was "rang" (emptied) but could not anymore show its exact former location.
Looking at the FAD 74 map, we find Wat Monthop and Wat Khae more or less correctly positioned. Wat Khaosan Dam, a still existent brick mound, is not correctly positioned but slightly too much north.
If we shove the FAD 1974 map overlay in the sense that the position of the brick mound of Wat Khao San Dam on the satellite picture corresponds with Wat Khao San Dam on the map, then Wat Ngu should have been located in geographical coordinates 14° 22' 0.67" N 100° 34' 39.84" E. At the same time, the location of Wat Sri Jampa should be situated slightly northeast of Wat Khao San Dam (the position of Wat Sri Jampa, after an interview of villagers in its vicinity, proved to be correct). In the above-mentioned geographical coordinates, traces of bricks and tiles were visible.
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 not indicated on a 19th-century map nor on Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map drafted in 1926 CE. Professor Khemnad writes in his book “Monthop” that Wat Ngu is shown on old maps in the middle of the island. [2]
Wat Ngu was one of the six monasteries of Ko Loi. The other temples were: Wat Monthop, Wat Khae, Sri Jampa/ Wat Inthawat, Wat Khao San Dam, and Wat Saphan Kluea.
Wat Ngu was in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 3.31" N. 100° 34' 36.85" E.
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. Khlong Chong Lom was dug in the early 20th century to reduce the whirlpools near Wat Tong Pu and the Chantra Kasem Palace, separating Wat Chong Lom from the eastern mainland. As the Lopburi River and the Pa Sak River were joining near Wat Tong Pu, and the erosive force of the two rivers was destroying the embankment in front of the Chantra Kasem Palace, the idea rose to divert the Pa Sak River. The diversion was made shortly after the digging of Khlong Chong Lom. Khlong Sai, a small canal cutting through the eastern mainland from Wat Chong Lom to the present Ayutthaya Ship Building Industrial and Technology College, was widened and deepened. The Pa Sak River, instead of running in front of Wat Tong Pu, changed its course and ran straight from Wat Pa Kho to Wat Phanan Choeng.
References:
[1] Khemnak, Phayao (2010). Wat Monthop (Amphur Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya). Fine Arts Department 3rd Region. p. 17.
