WAT NOM DUAN





Wat Nom Duan was located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya in the Khlong Sra Bua Sub-district. The temple's name is a bit weird as it can be translated as the Monastery of the Amputated Breast.


The monastery stood in an area called before Thung Kaeo (1), along the east bank of Khlong Pha Lai (2).


A moat surrounded the sanctuary, and which westside was the Pha Lai Canal.


The temple was located south of Wat Seliang, north of Wat Pho and east of Wat Khwit.


At present, there are no traces visible of this temple above ground level.


The monastery is indicated on the 1974, 1993 and 2007 CE Fine Arts Department (FAD) maps.


Based on the 2007 FAD map, some temple remains were excavated by the Fine Arts Department in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 57.64" N, 100° 33' 35.69" E.


This excavation area is situated west of Khlong Pha Lai, though it does not match the position of Wat Nom Duan indicated on the 1974 and 1993 CE FAD maps, which put the temple east of the canal.


Based on the two latter maps, the monastery should have been situated in the approximate geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 52.64" N, 100° 33' 49.39" E.


Footnotes:


(1) Thung Kaeo, or Crystal Field, is an area north of the city of Ayutthaya bordered on the west and north by Khlong Sra Bua, on the east by Khlong Hua Ro, and on the south by Khlong Mueang.

(2) Khlong Pha Lai, or the Canal of the Patterned Cloth, was a canal situated off the city island in the northern area running partly in present Tha Wasukri and Khlong Sra Bua sub-districts. The canal is defunct, but there are still some stretches existing from this canal. Most of the waterway, though, has been filled up. Khlong Pha Lai had its mouth west of Wat Mai and ran adjacent to Khlong Sra Bua into the old Lopburi River, a stretch of water called today Khlong Mueang.