The Main Chedi of Wat Maheyong

The main chedi of Wat Maheyong was originally built during the reign of King Borommarachathirat II (Chao Sam Phraya). The Krung Kao chronicle: Luang Prasert Aksonnit's version states that it was built in 1438 whereas other royal chronicles of Ayutthaya, for example the Phan Chantanumat (Choem)'s version and the Phra Chakkraphaddiphong (Chad)’s version agree on the year 1424.

During the late Ayutthaya period, in 1711 King Thai Sa ordered a major reconstruction of Wat Maheyong which had fallen into a decrepit state. An account on this restoration was explained differently in each royal chronicle. However, there is one certain detail they all collectively reports; the King ordered a construction of his residential hall at the edge of the temple. He would stay in this building during his visit to inspect the restoration works for a month or a few months. This new building took 3 years to complete. It is believed that the main chedi should be restored during this project.

The temple compound was first under archaeological excavation between 1978-1979. They discovered King Thai Sa's residential hall and a mound which is now where the Wat Maheyong Meditation Centre stands upon. During 1995-1996, the main chedi, chedi no. 10 and 11 including some parts of the ubosot were restored. The next restoration project was executed between 1999-2000 including new archaeological fieldworks. Its fund was shared with other restoration projects at Wat Sika Samud, Wat Chang and Tamnak Maheyong which is 6,990,000 baht in total.

The main chedi of Wat Maheyong is a round chedi standing on an ambulatory platform. It was built with brick, covered with plaster and posseses an exterior decoration with stucco reliefs.

The ambulatory platform is a square base. There are niches along its walls which house life-sized figures of elephant's front-half. Four sets of staircase leading to the upper area of platform locate in the middle of each side.

1. This chedi is one of a few of the ‘elephants encircled style’ chedis constructed in the Ayutthaya period. Most importantly, it is the only one with a documentation of its construction which occurred in the early period of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

2. The unique style of chedi that has elephant figures surrounding its base should related to the Lankawongse sect of Theravada Buddhism from Sri Lanka in the Ayutthaya Kingdom during the reing of King Borommarachathirat II. It is plausibly connected to the group of bhikkus entitled “Sinhalese sect” or “Pa Daeng Luang sect” from Chiang Mai that came to Ayutthaya in this period as well.

3. The name of the temple, Maheyong, plausibly relates to the Mahiyangana Temple in Sri Lanka whose elephant encircled style stupa was probably a prototype of the main chedi of Wat Maheyong.

4. This chedi also displays several characteristics are possibly relevant to Sukhothai art. For example, the arches above elephant figures and Buddha niches below the bell shape of the chedi which resemble their counterparts at Chedi Wat Chang Lom in Si Satchanalai.

1. Wat Chang Lom, Si Satchanalai, Sukhothai province which shares similar characteristics such as niches of Buddha images at the lower part of chedi.

2. Phra Borommathat Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Its supposedly relation with the main chedi of Wat Maheyong is the similar style of standing figures of elephant in niches.

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

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