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Stupa at Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya |
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Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relics) is located almost right in the center of Ayutthaya. Apart from being the symbolic center where the Buddha's relics were enshrined, Wat Mahathat was also the residence of the Supreme Patriarch or leader of the Thai Buddhist monks. The temple is believed to be built during the 14th century A.D. (the early Ayutthaya period).
The main prang collapsed during the Ayutthaya period, but was restored. It collapsed again during the reign of King Rama V (Rattanakosin or Bangkok period), so only the foundation of the main prang remains at present.
However, it can easily be judged from the size of the base, that the prang was of high proportions. As in most architecture of the early period of Ayutthaya, the main prang was the most important edifice in the temple compound.
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(Restored) Garuda image halfway a prang at Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya |
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Buddha Image in the viharn at Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya. |
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The well known image of the Head of the Buddha, with tree branches growing around it. Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya. |
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Images by G.V., Bangkok, copyrighted.
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