There is a story that made this place so memorable the first time I visit. The temple I was visit built on the orders of the first king of Ayutthaya and serve as his crematorium. So, the story goes like this. King Ramathibodhi died and was cremated on the grounds of this temple, after which a temple was built, now known as Wat Phara Ram.
This temple was rebuilt by the next king, King Ramathibodhi I, who built a chedi on the site of his father's cremation. Along with the treasures and relics of the previous king, these were burned together. The remainder was then stored in the chedi.
It was here that I learned that a king aggressively built the temple because he hoped to accumulate merit from building temples for the benefit of the people. This is where he gained considerable merit, which served as political legitimacy for subsequent kings.
This temple is quite large in terms of its area, especially since it also has a chedi (house) in the distinctive Khmer style, demonstrating the immense Khmer influence of that time. Can you see the chedi? It was the king's resting place, leading to his rebirth as a Buddha.
In front of me now is a fairly large sermon hall (vihara). It consists of a main hall for prayer, serving as a highly sacred place. Although the walls and some of them are broken, all that remains is a floor made of stack bricks and sand.
Wat Phara Ram is steeped in history, make it a silent witness to the glory of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Similar to other temples in the Ayutthaya Historical Park, this temple is well maintained, even the restoration has been completed. This is the only part that has been preserved.
There are also many Buddha statues that have beed broken, not a single one remains intact. Only remnants remain, indicate that this temple has existed for a long time and left behind a long history.
This temple was quite tiring, but its beauty and history kept me motivated enough to wander around. It's located at the very end of all the temples in Ayutthaya Historical Park. It was the last temple we stopped at, and everyone else did too.
So, before entering and paying for tickets at the counter, we were given a briefing and a map that would slowly guide us to all the historical spots in Ayutthaya. It's a good way to follow the directions to avoid exhausting yourself, whether you're walking or cycling. But, you should stop by here soon, because I found the story of this temple very interesting.
See you the next time hive friends!
Editing by Lightroom and VN iphone 11
Hi! Let me introduce myself, its me Wita.
I'm just a woman who wants to write whatever's on my mind. I really enjoy cooking, occasionally traveling, and doing whatever I like. I want to live like a bird flying freely in nature. But I know I'm only human. So, I can only write freely like a bird that can fly with its two wings.
I'm usually very interested in new things. Let me be creative with at least these writings. I welcome any suggestions, as long as you mention them politely in the comments section. We can have a free discussion every now and then.
Don't think too much of me as you see in my posts. I'm just sharing what I have, and some of it is actually quite enjoyable to post. It's just that I don't really like posting bad things. I hope we continue to work together to build this Hive community.
You can find me on my various social media platforms:
Instagram: aswitasoe
Youtube: aswitasoe
Email: aswitasoep@gmail.com