Wat Ratchaburana

Wat Ratchaburana

Wat Ratchaburana is one of the big and oldest temples in Ayutthaya. According to the Royal Chronicles, the construction of this temple was started during the reign of King Boromrachathirat II (Chao Sam Phraya) in 1424 where Prince Ai Phraya and Prince Yi Phraya fought each other for the throne and died in combat.
The layout of the temple’s structure followed the early Ayutthayan style just like Wat Mahathat. Wat Ratchaburana consists of the monastic structure with a wihan and ubosot, where the wihan was placed in the front and the ubosot was placed in the far back of the compound in the same level.
The must-visit when coming to this temple is to go check out the chambers of the principal prang where most of the golden artefacts, including royal regalia, miniature utensils and numerous votive tablets were found in the crypt. While you are on the way up to the top chamber, please take a moment to appreciate the interior details of the main prang. If you can’t imagine the same interior at Wat Mahathat, you can still check it out here since this prang still has the most intact remains and in the most authentic shape dating back to the early Ayutthaya period. This is considered to be rarely seen work of art and architecture from the early Ayutthaya period.
On the lowest level of the top part of the main prang are decorated Garuda, Naga, and angel sculptures which represent the different status of heaven and human Earth according to the cosmic Mount Meru. The stucco in the shape of a giant lifting the base of the main prang is in Thai traditional architecture from the belief that the mighty giant will help support the Buddhist religion to last for a long period of time.
Now it is time to start climbing up to the inside of the main prang into each chamber. Along the path of the historical treasure hunt, you can rest to adjust your eyesight as the deeper you are the less bright it will become. After taking a short rest, the next exploration is to climb down the ladder to the next chamber that consists of 3 small rooms along the vertical line down to the ground level.
The Cella on Level 1 is the top crypt that kept most of the votive tablets dating back to between the 14th -15th centuries of the Sukhothai, Lop Buri and Suphan Buri styles. The murals on the walls are still fairly visible depicting Chinese people, gathering of angels, a pair of Chinese door guardians, some warriors and floral pattern. Let’s take a close look and see if you can find all these items.
The Cella one Level 2 is where many types of golden artefacts, including royal regalia, royal utensils and miniature utensils were found. The murals on the wall display the previous existences (total of 24 life existences) of the Lord Buddha in accordance with the Ceylonese domination. These paintings are displayed in the square room with vivid red underpants, black drawing lines and some are gilded. To look at the murals is a little bit of a challenge because they are high above the head. While enjoying the beauty of these paintings, you will find the painted stars on the top of the ceiling which is the way the gang of thieves used to come in and out of this crypt.
The Cella on Level 3 is considered the most important crypt where the prang replica and stupa containing the Buddha’s relics are housed with gilded animal paintings and gold accessories. The elaborated accessories including many different Buddha statues found inside the stupa confirm to us that this is the sacred area dedicated for the keepsake of the Buddha’s authentic relics from the ancient merit. The recuperated treasures of Wat Ratchaburana were displayed at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
If you still have time, slowly take in the timeless beauty, the national treasures, and the ancient Thai civilisation by enjoying your visit at this archaeological site.

Wat Ratchaburana

Located on the city island in the central area of Ayutthaya at Tambon Tha Wasukri