Prang Wat Phutthaisawan

The royal chronicles of Ayutthaya, for example the Phan Chantanumat (Choem)’s version, the Phra Chakkraphaddiphong (Chad)'s version and the Phra Racha Hatthalekha version collectively establish King Ramathibodi I (Phra Chao U-Thong) as a founder of this temple. The King ordered a construction of Wat Phutthaisawan in 1353 on the ground of his old resident, Tamnak Wieng Lek, as followed: “At Phra Tamnak Wieng Lhek, established a monastery with phra viharn and phra mahathat under the name Wat Phutthaisawan.”

The site was listed and declared an ancient monument in the Government Gazette no. 52, part 75, on 8 March 1935.

The main prang of Wat Phutthaiswand was erected on the phaithi base and faces the east. It was formerly flanked by mandapas to the north and the south.

The prang was built with bricks, covered with plaster and decorated with stucco motifs. The interior serves as a cella or garbhagriha which can be accessed via a projecting porch on the exterior. There are also three more porches but are shorter in size. A superstructure of the prang is a multi-tiered roofs decorated with cornered antefixes. On the very top is a bronze nine-tiered trident as a finial.

1. Wat Phutthaisawan was constructed during the reign of King Ramathibodi I (Phra Chao U-Thong). It is, to this date, the oldest temple of Ayutthaya which provides a reliable documentation of its history. Therefore, it is a fine example of the early Ayutthaya art.

2. Ground plans of the main prang and of the Phuttawat (the area consecrated to Lord Buddha) possibly reflect a development from that of Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Lopburi. They share several similar features such as the main prang with a projecting long porch, a gallery surrounding the main prang, all of which strongly indicate a significant role of Lopburi to the Ayutthaya people.

4. Testimony of the King from Wat Pradu Songtham (Khamhaikan Khun Luang Wat Pradu Songtham) from the palace library (Ho Luang) describes Prang Wat Phutthaisawan as one of the Great Five Mahathat of Ayutthaya: “The Five Great Chedis of the Capital are the Mahathat of Wat Phra Ram, the Mahathat of Wat Mahathat, the Mahathat of Wat Ratchaburana, the Mahathat of Wat Samorakot and the Mahathat of Wat Phutthaisawan.”

According to the royal chronicles, King Ramathibodi I built Wat Phutthaisawan in 1353 on the ground of Tamnak Wieng Lhek which was his former residence before he built his new palace near Nong Sanoe This eventually set a tradition of which several kings of the Ayutthaya Kingdom would donate his former residence as a consecrated area to Buddhism.

1. Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Lopburi has a very similar style of prang as well as a complex plan hence Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Lopburi should be a prototype for Wat Phutthaisawan.

2. Other temples of the early Ayutthaya period, for example, Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya and Wat Ratchaburana all of which are related to Wat Phutthaisawan, concerning a floor plan such as gallery surrounding the main prang.

สันติ เล็กสุขุม. ศิลปะอยุธยา งานช่างหลวงแห่งแผ่นดิน. กรุงเทพฯ : เมืองโบราณ, 2542.

ศิลปากร, กรม. พระราชวังและวัดโบราณในจังหวัดพระนครศรีอยุธยา. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2511.