In the "Geographical description of Ayutthaya: Documents from the Palace", there are eight sacred places mentioned outside the city of Ayutthaya, being the glory of the capital since olden times. [1] One of these eight places was Wat Pho Aranyik, which features a reclining Buddha of 30 meters long. The location of Wat Pho Aranyik is still unidentified, but one of the possible contenders could be the premises of Wat Phra Non or the "Monastery of the Reclining Buddha".
The temple must have been sitting on the Chao Phraya River or one of its main tributaries, as water was the most important means of transport in the Ayutthaya era. The other reclining Buddhas on the list are all near Ayutthaya, so Wat Pho Aranyik should have been located not that far from the former capital. The closest area with a reference to "Aranyik" is Nakhon Luang. The district has a sub-district called “Phra Non” in the Aranyik area. The Pa Sak River runs through this sub-district, and there is a monastery called Wat Phra Non or the "Monastery of the Reclining Buddha".
The head monk of the monastery indicated that there was no image of a reclining Buddha on his temple premises. Still, he stated that outside the temple opposite the road, there was a vihara, which once contained a very large image of a reclining Buddha. He added that the site was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767 CE. The prayer hall was before part of the temple's premises, but now a road separated it from the present monastery. (1)
