Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the royal palace built by King Ramathibodi I (King U-thong of Ayutthaya). Later in 1448, King Borommatrailokkanat ordered to build a new palace just north of the area, adjacent to the old Lop Buri River, and devoted the old palace to serve exclusively as the royal temple for religious and royal ceremonies; such as, the coronation ceremony or other religious rituals like Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram in Bangkok. There were no residing monks, and it served as the place to keep the royal relics.
The construction of Wat Phra Si Sanphet was to move the centre of confidence and adhesion to the palace by centralising the temple and monarchy’s power.
The prominent symbols of the temple are the three upside-down-bell-shaped pagodas lying from the east to the west. The three chedis are believed to keep the ashes of three kings. If coming from the Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit side, the right chedi is where King Borommatrailokkanat’s ashes are kept, the middle chedi is where King Borom Rachathirat III’s ashes are kept, and the left chedi is where King Ramathibodi II’s ashes are kept. as well as Buddha relics.
Within the temple compound, the important hall of worship called “Vihara Luang” (Royal Chapel) was built to perform the royal ceremonies and had the Buddha status called Phra Si Sanphetdayan installed in Wat Si Sanphet. This image represents the Buddha in a standing posture. However, after the second invasion by Burma, the Burmese burnt the palace and melted the gold coating from the statue leaving the bronze core of the image badly damaged. King Rama I of the Royal House of Chakri moved the Buddha statue to Bangkok in pieces for restoration to install the bronze core of Phra Si Sanphetdayan in a chedi at the time of the founding of Wat Phra Chetuphon better known as Wat Pho.
Wiharn Phra Lokkanat is where the statue of Phra Lokkanart’s was kept and later on King Rama I ordered to move it to install at Wat Phra Chetuphon in Bangkok
The Chom Thong Throne Hall is located near Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit. During the reign of King Songtham, the Chom Thong Throne Hall was used by senior members of the Buddhist hierarchy as a place from which they issued edicts relating to religious matters or a place to keep Buddha statues.
You will find other smaller pagodas surrounding the site. It is believed and found that the ashes of the royal members were placed in those smaller chedis.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
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Located in the Royal Grand Palace
On the east of Phra Viharn Mongkol Bopitr
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