Wat Suwan Dararam

Wat Suwan Dararam is among the most important temples established during the Chakri Dynasty. It has garnered fame for the intricate mural paintings that adorn the interior of both the ubosot and wihan, depicting the history of King Naresuan the Great. This is a site not to be missed during your visit of the old city.

Once known as “Wat Thong”, Golden Temple, it was built by the father of King Rama I the Great on the old residential grounds. The temple was temporarily deserted when Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese in 1767. Eventually, King Rama I the Great ordered the temple renovated and renamed it “Wat Suwan Dararam”.

The old mural paintings by “Maha Sweg Tree Phraya Anusat Chitrakon (Chan Chitrakon) are featured as the most prominent attraction of the temple. These paintings retell the Royal Chronicles of King Naresuan the Great through a realistic style that employs appropriate facial details, musculature and physical proportions. Considered to be Thailand’s first use of oil painting on concrete walls, these timeless works of art mixed Western influences with a distinctly Thai style.

It was during the reign of King Rama VII that the now famous mural paintings were drawn. They were created to replace the worn-out pieces that originated from the period of King Rama IV. The murals spread across a total of 18 rooms and the activities of King Naresuwan the Great are portrayed in a similar fashion as the stories of the Lord Buddha.

The story began in 1569 with the fall of the city and the capture of King Naresuan th Great who was taken as a prisoner to Pegu city. Another scene shows him with Mang Sam Kiat or Minchit Sra at a cockfight. One prominent painting can be found at the front, across from the principal Buddha image above the entrance of the wihan. It is a wall-sized scene depicting the fight between King Naresuan the Great and Minchit Sra-the Burmese Crown Prince.

Despite the renovations, the ubosot still displays the intricate beauty of the past through astounding decorative flair; such as, the ornamented gables, ridges and pediments of teak carved into Lai Kanok with the image of Naraya on the garuda. The corbels along the ubosot are gold-plated, decorated with stained glass and expertly carved into Lai Kanok. The mural paintings inside exemplify the techniques of the Ayutthaya style. King Rama I the Great brought in painters from the Ayutthaya period that previously worked on the Emerald Buddha Temple.

Before Leaving, take a moment to pay respect and ask for the blessing of the principal Buddha image inside the ubosot. The intricate features of the Buddha are modelled after the famous Emerald Buddha.