Wat Chaiwatthanaram – one of the most impressive Ayutthaya temples
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is one of the highlight temples in the Ayutthaya Historical site. Located in the west of Ayutthaya along the Chao Phraya River, the temple is famous for its history and its Angkor Wat design.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram becomes more gorgeous with the light in the dusk
Basic information about Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Wat Chaiwatthanaram was built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong to show respect to his mother. The temple assembles Angkor temples in Cambodia with the main prang in the center and many small prangs in the surrounding.
- Address: 8GVR+5PX, Tambon Ban Pom, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000 (See map)
- Opening hours: 08:00 – 16:30 every day except for holidays.
- Ticket fee: 50 THB / person
What is Wat Chaiwatthanaram famous for?
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is well-known for its Khmer style central prang which is called Prang Noi. The prang is 35 meters high and is surrounded by small prangs in a square shape. It represents Mount Meru which is the center of the universe in Buddist and Hindu cosmology. There are four steep stairs to lead up the prang in its four directions. The east one will take you to a chamber enshrining relics and precious artifacts.
The main prang is surrounded by small prangs presenting the universe center surrounded by the ocean.
Another highlight of this temple is a complex of 8 small prangs embracing the central prang. They are connected to each other by a path. Along with this path place 120 Buddha statues which were head-cut off in 1767 during the Burmese invasion. Wat Chaiwatthanaram was surrounded by three red brick walls, however, only the third round behind the back of those buddha images remains.
Headless Buddha statues at the temple – the relics of Burmese invasion
Under the vault of the surrounding prangs lie 12 Buddha images embedded into the wall. Those images will walk you through the life story of the Buddha. If you are interested in history, this temple will never disappoint you.
Tips when visiting Wat Chaiwatthanaram
Like any other temple, Wat Chaiwatthanaram also has some regulations that you need to follow:
- Dress properly
- Respect the Buddha
- Strictly avoid food and drink inside the temple
- Never sit or stand on Buddha’s images
Check it out for more must-visit temples in Ayutthaya:
Everything is very open with a clear description of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your site is useful. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for your kind words. We would like to help every one to have a great experience traveling in Thailand.