Wat Rakhang

Wat Rakhang is a restored temple ruin located within the Ayutthaya Historical Park, west of the Grand Palace, in the Pratu Chai Sub-district.

The temple is part of a cluster of three restored temple ruins. The ruin is south of Wat Worapho (active temple), east of Wat Worachettharam (ruin), and North-northeast of Wat Lokaya Sutha (ruin). Wat Rakhang stood on the north bank of Khlong Fang and the west bank of Khlong Pak Tho.

We can access the cluster via Khlong Tho Road and a stretch called Na Rong Mai Road, earlier, the latter referring to a wood factory on the premises of today’s Wat Worapho. A small road leads to it, starting at the Grand Palace's southwest corner and going to Wat Rakhang. Field Marshal Plaek Phibun Songkhram ordered the construction of this road in 1949 CE.

Although the temple ruin is referred to today as Wat Worapho, a second monastery nearby – but visibly separated - shares the same name. I consider the two temple locations to be separate entities and retain the restored ruin’s original name, Wat Rakhang, for a reason explained on this page.

History

Wat Rakhang was built before 1600 CE. The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya first mention the monastery during the ordination of Prince Si Sin in 1602 CE at Wat Rakhang, when he received the name Phra Phimon Tham Ananta Pricha and held the rank of Phra Ratchakhana. Prince Si Sin was the son of King Ekathotsarot and a first-class concubine. He became a Buddhist scholar revered by many nobles and disciples, enabling him to gather many followers. After his father's death, Prince Si Sin awaited the opportunity to dethrone his father’s successor and half-brother, King Si Saowaphak. (1) On an early morning in 1611 CE, he gathered his followers at Wat Maha That, invaded the Grand Palace, and seized the king. The next day, the one-eyed king Si Saowaphak was executed with a sandalwood club at Wat Khok Phraya, and Prince Si Sin mounted the throne as King Songtham.

This period of history is very vague, with different interpretations. Prince Damrong wrote that Wat Rakhang mentioned here could have been the temple now called Wat Choeng Tha. [1]

Thereupon all of the thao phraya, ministers, statesmen and chiefs, in the company of the holy patriarchs of the Village Dwelling Sect and the Forest Dwelling Sect, finished consulting together and invited His-Supreme-Holy-Lord-and-Child Phra Si Saowaphak, who had lost a holy eye on one side, to assume the ascendant sovereign kingship for ruling the world and to perpetuate the royal customs henceforth. The Supreme-Holy-Lord-Omnipotent had the preparations made for Lighting the Holy Fire for the holy corpse of His Supreme-Holy-Royal-Father in accordance with the royal customs of past holy great kings and lords.

In 964 of the Era, a year of the tiger, fourth of the decade, Phra Si Sin, having been ordained as a monk at the Monastery of the Bell, received a religious appointment as Phra Phimon Tham Ananta Pricha, being expertly versed in the Three Holy Baskets. Being proficient in both the manuals of the Three Vedas and the manuals of royalty, he had many pupils and followers - even Camün Si Sararak having presented himself to become his adopted son. At that time he was learned and everyone revered him greatly, so they plotted together to seize with Camün Si Sararak and the pupils and followers in secret. Having assembled many accomplices, they broke out in revolt at twilight and betook themselves to hide their troops at the stupa of the Monastery of the Holy and Glorious Great Jeweled Relic. When an excellent moment of astrological auspiciousness obtained, they brought their troops to chop [down] the Gate of Good Fortune and managed to enter the imperial plaza. The nobles which were reclining on duty took the matter and prostrated themselves to inform the King. The Supreme-Holy-Lord-Omnipotent was terrified for a few moments and then said, “Even if Our time has come, just do not cause any trouble!” Phra Phimon Tham managed to enter the holy royal palace and then had the Holy-Lord-of-the-Realm seized and taken under guard to be securely imprisoned. The next day he had one hundred holy monks invited for the Rite of Unveiling the Corpse and presented them with joss sticks to ask forgiveness. Then he had the King executed with a sandalwood cudgel and His holy corpse was taken to be buried at the Monastery of the Knoll of the Phraya. Phra Si Saowaphak had been ensconced in the royal wealth for one year and two months. [2]

In 1662 CE, King Narai (reign 1656-1688 CE) resumed the war with Burma and readied an army to besiege the Burmese. A certain Phraya Si Racha Decho, possessing the ability to make himself disappear and withstand weapons for as long as he could hold his breath, became the leader of the front brigade. Phraya Si Racha Decho was ambushed near Ava when the Burmese tricked him and his followers into an enclosure. The group, attempting in vain to fight the Burmese off, were captured and tied up. The disastrous news quickly reached the palace, and King Narai invited the abbot of the Monastery of the Bell, Phra Phimon Tham, to make a divination regarding the situation of Phraya Si Racha Decho, whether he was dead or still alive. The abbot foretold that the Phraya would escape from capture, gain a victory over the Burmese troops and obtain a vast quantity of booty. The abbot’s prediction came true, and King Narai bestowed on him in recompense one set of the three garments made.

"The Supreme Holy Buddha Lord Omnipotent, having been informed that Phraya Siha Ratcha Decho had been lost and that the enemy had managed to capture him, was exceedingly frightened in His holy heart. He thereupon commanded policemen to go forth and invite Phra Phimon Tham, the Royal Abbot of the Monastery of the Bell, to come in as He would have him perform divination to learn the facts with surety. Because this Phra Phimon Tham, a Royal Abbot, was exceedingly accurate in divination, the King had been accustomed to placing His faith in him in the past. When the Holy Person and Existing Lord had come in, reached the holy royal residence and taken a seat, the King thereupon told him, “At this moment the Burmese enemy has managed to capture Phraya Siha] Ratcha Decho, Our foremost soldier. We have asked Your Holy Person and Existing Lord to be invited [here] to examine [the matter through divination] to learn for certain whether he is dead or alive or whatever.” Phra Phimon Tham, a Royal Abbot, thereupon examined [the situation] with a tri-ocular chart and, after having been enlightened by its contents, offered a holy blessed prediction saying, “As for Phraya Siha Ratcha Decho—that the enemy was able to capture him is true. Nevertheless, at this moment he has already managed to free himself clear away from the enemy’s control, has turned around and gained a victory [over them], and in addition has obtained a vast quantity of booty. Your Holy Royal Accumulation of Merit and Lordship should not entertain any holy anxieties or be distressed in Your holy heart. On this chart, in truth, no dangers can be found.” [3]

The Monastery of the Bell is again mentioned in the Royal Chronicles for the year 1741 CE. At his ascension to the throne, King Borommakot’s eldest son, Chao Fa Thammathibet (2), received the title of Krom Khun Sena Phithak. In 1741 CE, Phra Ratcha Kosapan of the Monastery of the Bell village requested that the king appoint Thammathibet Maha Uparat, or deputy king (Front Palace), a request the king agreed to following a meeting of the nobles.

When it was the fifth month of the year of the cock, third of the decade, Phra Ratcha Kosa of the village of the Monastery of the Bell prostrated himself and said to the King, “I would request that the Supreme Holy Lord Child and Department of the Fourth Rank Sena Phithak be appointed the Department of the Holy Royal Palace Enclosure.” The King thereupon ordered him to consult with all of the primary grand marshals. After they agreed unanimously, the Holy Lord Omnipotent was accordingly pleased to have the Department of the Fourth Rank Sena Phithak appointed to the standing and dignity of the position of the Grand Deputy King according to tradition. [4]

Architecture

Wat Rakhang covers a large area. In an overview from north to south, we find first an ordination hall with an entrance towards the east and Khlong Pak Tho. Sema stone foundations mark the building boundaries. The ubosot has a Buddha image. The base of the Buddha image was made of bricks and cement, measuring 5 meters wide and 6 meters long on each side, and 2 meters high. The original Buddha image was a statue in the Mara Wichai (3) attitude from the Ayutthaya period, built with brick and cement. Later, it was damaged, and only a Chinese Buddha image remained. Locals repaired the Buddha image with new cement. His right and left fingers were broken, and his right foot was broken in half.

On the south side of the ubosot, we find the basic foundations of a square-base chedi and a two-tiered chedi with a staircase on its eastern side. The staircase leads to a double terrace, where a bell-shaped chedi stands on an octagonal base, its dome slightly tilted.

The following monastic structure is the monastery's main stupa. The stupa was surrounded by a square gallery of 45 x 45 metres, with the foundations visible. The stupa was a 36-rabbeted-angled prang, typical for King Borommakot’s reign and unique in Ayutthaya. Unfortunately, only the base remains. The prang has steep staircases in the cardinal directions, as usual.

South of the central stupa is a restored sermon hall with redented foundations on a large square base or platform, approximately 30 metres on each side, aligned east/west. In the front and at the back of the base, as well as the vihara, are staircases.

Several small chedis in various styles and conditions are spread throughout the site. Remnants of the outer wall are also visible.

Noh Na Paknam

Noh Na Paknam, a prolific writer, art historian, and preservationist who worked closely with Silpakorn University and the Fine Arts Department and wrote extensively on Thai temples, antiques, and murals, visited Wat Worapho (formerly Wat Rakhang) on 9 November 1966 CE during his five-month stay in Ayutthaya and recorded the following:

"In the afternoon, I walked to Wat Worapho. I saw the ruins of a dilapidated vihara (chapel), with corrugated roof tiles scattered everywhere. Fine-grained slate boundary markers indicated it was an ancient temple, dating back to the early Ayutthaya period. The large boundary markers were completely chipped away, leaving only fragments. There were also fragments of a life-sized, light-coloured sandstone Buddha image with a Naga (serpent) canopy, a smaller terracotta Buddha image in a posture of meditative peace, and many other Buddha images carved from white sandstone. Most of the remains were piles of scattered bricks, measuring 31 x 15 x 4 cm. A large stone beam made of fine-grained green stone was also found. Beside the ordination hall was a Lanna-style stupa with an octagonal dome, standing on a high platform. It was overgrown with trees, making a close examination difficult. I could only see signs of thieves having dug into it, leaving a hollow interior. Peeking inside, I saw that the stupa was octagonal, similar to the exterior, with a curved dome on top.

Further on, I passed a villager's jujube orchard and saw the ruins of a massive prang (tower), densely covered with trees. It is visible as a large, intricately detailed prang (tower), with eight corner markers on each side, totalling thirty-six corners. It has four niches at the corners and is surrounded by a wall. The villagers call it a mandapa because the top has completely collapsed, so they don't realise it's a prang. Originally, it housed the Buddha's footprint, which the temple has now moved to a site near where the new ordination hall will be built. The Buddha's footprint is a large, green, fine-grained stone block. The base measures 1.59 x 0.48 meters and is 0.38 meters high, with intricate footprint patterns. The roof was built low, right up to the Buddha's footprint, so the intricate patterns on it were no longer visible. I intend to ask the abbot for permission to copy the design later.

Originally, this temple was called Wat Rakhang. It housed a replica of the Buddha's footprint, created during the reign of King Songtham. It was the residence of Somdet Phra Sangkharat Krom Khun Surendra Phitak, a grandson of King Borommakot. During the reign of King Borommakot, he ordered Phra Upali Sam of Wat Rakhang to be the head monk, along with 25 other monks, to go to Sri Lanka for ordination and to establish a new monastic lineage, the Siam Ubali lineage, which continues to this day. Later, when a sapling of the Bodhi tree was brought to the temple, the temple was renamed Wat Worapho. This temple is similar in style to Wat Pho in Bangkok today and was an important temple during the Ayutthaya period because of its location." [5]

Epilogue

Engelbert Kaempfer’s Map indicates another temple north of Wat Rakhang along the Na Rong Mai Road opposite the Saphan Sai So Bridge (Chain Bridge) and the Maha Phokharat palace gate. The Fine Arts Department writes that during the reign of King Borommakot, the name of Wat Rakhang was changed into Wat Worapho to commemorate the return of a group of monks who had re-established the upasampada (higher ordination) and created the Siam Nikaya order in Sri Lanka and had brought a sprout of a Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka. The latter tree was considered a sprout of the original Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Based on Kaempfer’s map, I believe Wat Worapho was established to shelter the sprout of a Bodhi tree from Sri Lanka, and that the name change attributed to Wat Rakhang is not correct. Today, at the exact location indicated by Kaempfer, there is the modern Wat Worapho. Archaeological excavation on the site could confirm whether or not Kaempfer’s drawing is correct.

Wat Rakhang is shown on a 19th-century map in the same position as on Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's map, drafted in 1926 CE. The map shows a chedi, not a prang. On the latter map, the monastery is called Wat Borom Phot (วัดบรมโพธ), while on PBR's map, it is called Wat Worapho (วัดวรโพธ์).

Wat Rakhang is in geographical coordinates: 14° 21' 26.65" N, 100° 33' 15.81" E.

Footnotes:

(1) 'The Short History of the Kings of Siam' by Jeremias Van Vliet, written in 1640 CE, does not mention King Si Saowaphak. [5] In 'Van Vliet's Siam,' a footnote states that George V. Smith argued that none of the Dutch and English archival evidence is nearly contemporary with the events it concerns, and that it mentions King Si Saowaphak. [6] Hence, the latter was called the ‘phantom’ king.

(2) In 1735 CE, King Borommakot became ill. Suren Phithak (Chaofa Naren, the eldest son of the late King Thai Sa), who was ordained at Wat Khok Saeng, often visited King Borommakot during this period. Chaofa Thammathibet, the only son of the elder consort of the king, Queen Aphainuchit, and two of his children laid an ambush for Chaofa Naren, likely out of jealousy as the latter enjoyed the king’s favour. Naren escaped Thammathibet 's attack and reported the attempt on his life afterwards to the king. The elder consort, Queen Aphainuchit, realising her son was in danger, smuggled Thammathibet out of the palace in her palanquin and took him to Wat Khok Saeng, where he was ordained. King Borommakot, searching for Thammathibet and unable to find him, ordered the execution of Thammathibet 's two children. [7] In 1737 CE, the first Queen fell very ill and asked the king to forgive her son. The king consented to her wish, upon which she died. Thammathibet left the monkhood immediately and resumed his position. [8] In 1755 CE, Thammathibet, then Uparat, was accused by his three rival half-brothers of committing adultery with some of the king’s royal consorts, two of them Lady Sangwan and Lady Nim. Chao Fa Sangwan was the third queen of King Borommakot and the granddaughter of King Petracha, while Lady Nim was the king’s first concubine. The Uparat was condemned to a flogging of 230 strokes and died during the execution. The court ladies received 30 strokes each. Queen Sangwan died three days later, while Lady Nim survived and was degraded to a servant. The Uparat and Lady Sangwan were buried at Wat Chai Watthanaram. [9] Chaofa Thammathibet was next to a ruthless politician, a poet, and the writer of many travel poems titled Kap Ho Khlong Nirat Phra Bat and Kap Ho Khlong Praphat Than Thongdaeng, as well as the Kap He Ruea boat song. Bhawan Ruangsilp covers an extensive account of Thammathibet in her book ‘Dutch East India Company Merchants at the Court of Ayutthaya: Dutch Perceptions of the Thai Kingdom, 1604-1765.’ [10]

(3) Māravijaya Attitude or Mara Vichai is an attitude of Buddha in Thai art in which the seated Buddha puts his hand in a relaxed posture towards the ground, loosely holding his knee. The other hand is on his lap. His eyes, sometimes closed, look down at the ground.

References:

[1] Rajanubhab, Damrong (Prince) (1917). Our Wars with the Burmese. White Lotus, Bangkok (2000). p. 203, 367.
[2] Cushman, Richard D. Wyatt, David K. (2006). The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya. The Siam Society. pp. 207-8.
[3] Ibid. pp. 280-2.
[4] Ibid. pp. 434-5.
[5] Uluchada, Prayoon, aka Noh Na Paknam (1984). Five Months in the Midst of Ayutthaya's Brick Rubble. (Hā Dư̄an Klāng Sākʻit Pūn Thī ʻAyutthayā). Bangkok.

Other Bibliography:

[1] Van Vliet, Jeremias. The Short History of the Kings of Siam. Bangkok: The Siam Society, 1975 (Translated by David Wyatt).
[2] Baker, Chris Pombejra, Dhiravat na Van Der Kraan Alfons & Wyatt, David K. (2005). Van Vliet's Siam. Silkworm Books.
[3] Ruangsilp, Bhawan (2007). Dutch East India Company Merchants at the Court of Ayutthaya: Dutch Perceptions of the Thai Kingdom, 1604-1765. pp. 201-2.

No 1: The temple gate has one door, one meter wide. It is destroyed, leaving only the foundation.

No 2: The vihara faces east, 12 metres wide and 18 metres long. The vihara wall is broken. There is a little bit left on the north side. The roof is covered with galvanised zinc, and eight newly repaired wooden pillars are located meters away from the concrete road.

No 3: The base of the principal Buddha image, made of brick and cement, measures a width of 5 metres, a length of 6 meters, and a height of 2 metres. The original principal Buddha image was a brick-and-cement statue in the Māravijaya posture, dating to the Ayutthaya period. It has since deteriorated, leaving only the Buddha image. A local villager, a district resident, faithfully repaired it by plastering new cement. The Buddha image is 5 meters high with a lap width of 3.50 meters. The fingers of the right and left hands are broken and missing, and the right foot is broken in half.

(Next paragraphs are unreadable.)

Map 1 - Detail of Kaempfer's sketch 1690 CE. Werke 4. Kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden. Herausgegeben von Detlef Haberland, Wolfgang Michel, Elisabeth Gössmann. Engelbert Kaempfer in Siam. Iudicum Verlag GmbH München 2003.
Map 2 - Detail of a 19th-century map. Courtesy of the Sam Chao Phraya Museum. Remark: the map is oriented south.
Map 3 - Detail of Phraya Boran Rachathanin's map, 1926 CE. Wat Suwandararam, Ayutthaya.
Map 4 - Detail of a 2007 Fine Arts Department GIS map. Courtesy of the Fine Arts Department 3rd Region.
Map 5 - Google Earth.

AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH

WAT RAKHANG

(The stupa of Wat Rakhang - Picture taken in August 2012 CE)

(A monastic structure at Wat Rakhang - Picture taken in August 2012 CE)

(View of Wat Rakhang - Picture taken in August 2012 CE)

(Buddha image at Wat Rakhang - Picture taken in August 2012 CE)

The Ground Plan of Wat Worapho

Selected PICTURES

Pictures taken November 2008 CE

Pictures taken August 2012 CE

BUDDHA HEAD IMAGES

Archaeologists found some heads of sandstone Buddha images of the Ayutthaya period on the premises of Wat Rakhang. Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit displays some of these heads.

MAPS

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
(Alexis de Tocqueville)

HISTORY OF AYUTTHAYA

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