Personal note
Wat Senasanaram stands on the site of an older temple called Wat Sua. This temple originally behind the Chandra-kasem Palace was incorporated in the palace grounds when the palace grounds were extended, as a result there is no monastery attached. Wat Senasanaram was built and named by King Mongkut to serve as an adjunct to the new Chandra-Kasem Palace. It was renovated by King Chulalongkorn. [3]
In his booklet ‘Guide to Ayudhya and Bang-Pa-In’ published in 1957 CE, Amatyakul enclosed a map from Ayutthaya with the location of Wat Suea. Wat Suea is the location of Wat Nang or the Monastery of the Hides, as we can find it on a mid-19th century map. Wat Nang is mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya, and its position was already indicated on Kaempfer’s sketch. [4]
Wat Suea’s name seems to come from the interpretation of a paragraph of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya regarding King Worawongsa (reign 1548 CE). In the paragraph, one of the insurgents, Phiren Thorathep (the later King Thamma Racha), orders Mun Racha Saneha to ambush the Uparat at the Suea Landing (Tha Suea). Racha Saneha, being in hiding, saw the Uparat mount his elephant to ride to the elephant kraal and shot him dead. It was likely deduced from this paragraph that Tha Suea's (Tiger landing) must have been located near a temple called Wat Suea. This Wat Suea, as seen on the 1957 CE map, was believed to be in the vicinity of the residence of the Uparat.
In the evening, Khun Phirenthòrathep ordered Mün Ratchasaneha, who was not in government service, to depart to wait and assault the Uparat at the Süa Landing. ... Meanwhile, Mün Ratchasaneha, who was not in government service, took along a gun to wait in hiding, carrying himself like a boxer of the royal guard. When he saw the Uparat riding on his elephant to go to the corral, Mün Ratchasaneha shot the Uparat off his elephant and killed him. [5]
Only in 1580 CE, the defence walls around the city were extended to the Khu Khue Na, a defensive moat outside the city. The northeastern corner of Ayutthaya’s city island was, until 1580 CE, situated outside the city wall, as the city fortifications were located along the present Khlong Makham Riang. The elephant kraal was not yet in the Phaniat area but closer to the city, near Wat Song (defunct). The defensive moat was widened and linked a passage dug to the Lopburi River in the north, establishing Ayutthaya as a real island.
A new wall was built from the north until the southern point of the city along the old defensive moat. New fortifications were made, such as the Maha Chai, Khwang, Racha Phruek and Phet Fortresses and a Front Palace for the Uparat for defensive purposes. These changes are somehow 30 years AFTER the reign of King Worawongsa. In 1548 CE, there was thus not yet a Front Palace neither a Wat Suea in the northeastern area.
The monastery near Wat Senasanaram was Wat Nang (defunct) mentioned for the first time in the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya around 1663 CE. [6]
Footnotes:
(1) The most common posture of the reclining Buddha representing his power and wisdom. The legend goes there was a powerful and extremely arrogant demon with a giant body named Asurindarahu. The Buddha wanted to bring this demon to the path of Dhamma. He knew that the demon was so intelligent that he could understand the Dhamma and attain a high enlightenment stage. To subdue this demon’s arrogance, the Buddha transformed himself into a giant form, which would be a hundred times larger than the demon. He then lay down, waiting for the demon whose ego would be subdued. Asurindarahu was humbled and made his obeisance to the Buddha.
(2) The centre line of the 6 April 1875 CE total solar eclipse passed through Bangkok. King Rama V arranged an eclipse observation gathering in front of Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall and organised an eclipse drawing contest. [7]
