Bangkok nowadays has grown to such a size that visitors may
be forgiven for thinking that it has always been the capitol of Thailand. But
this is not the case. In fact, since the 13th century it is the third such, the
other two capitols being in the north at Sukhothai (1238-1351 AD) and
Ayutthaya. Bangkok has only been the center of government since 1782 and the
present Grand Palace that just about everyone visits here was actually modeled
on the style of the old palace in Ayutthaya. For more than 400 years,
1351-1767, Thailand was governed from Ayutthaya in an era known by historians
as Thailand's "Golden Age."
At its height, the ancient city of Ayutthaya
Thailandwas a truly thriving center of a nation that was the most powerful
in Southeast Asia for several centuries until its sacking and plundering by the
Burmese in 1767. In their lust to take over the commercial center that
Ayutthaya had become because of its control over lucrative trade routes, the
Burmese destroyed many of the Angkor style temples and took unlimited amounts
of wealth in the form of artefacts and jewels back to Burma. Although they were
driven out less than six months later, the Burmese had ended Ayutthaya's reign
as a capitol city due to the thoroughness of their destruction of what had been
the "jewel of the East."
However, perhaps because of the proximity of Bangkok to Ayutthaya (86 km) it is once
more a thriving town of more than half a million people and the ruins of the
Ayutthaya civilization attract many visitors in their own right. As do the
colorful markets, fine floating restaurants and pleasant quietude you are
surrounded by compared to boisterous Bangkok.
In order to best protect their home, the ancient rulers of
Ayutthaya utilized three nearby rivers which they connected by man-made canals
to surround their stunning city, making a mostly natural moat around the city
that served to ward off invaders. They were courted during those times by savvy
Japanese merchants who built their own settlement just outside the city, on the
other side of the moat, and were soon joined by other settlements constructed
by English, French and Portuguese traders from Europe.
The Kings who ruled Ayutthaya constructed walls and
fortresses as well as the moat that surrounded them, the remnants of which can
still be glimpsed at certain points in the old part of the city. And of the
hundreds of temples that were built, there is enough remaining of them today to
enable you to imagine yourself back in Thailand's golden era of prosperity. If
you close your eyes for a moment in the proximity of an ancient ruin it is not
difficult to picture throngs of silken clad Thais in their national dress of
baggy trousers cut off at the calf going about their business of the day. The
city today is still surrounded by the three rivers (the Chao Phraya, Lop Buri
and Pa Sak) and a good way to visit the city is to take the three and a half
hour boat trip up the Chao Phraya from Bangkok, returning by road or train
which is about an hour and a half trip.
When visiting Ayutthaya, in order to get a taste of the
city, a good idea is to travel by boat again, taking a circumnavigatory tour of
the island. Boats leave from the pier by the market and the trip lasts about an
hour. You will pass by Wang Luang (the remains of the old wooden palace
buildings), WatPhra Si Sanphet, WatPhra Ram, WatRatchaburana, the Ayutthaya
Study Center and two museums - the Chao Sam Phraya and Chandra Kasem.
Your short boat trip around the island will set you up for
further exploration by giving you some ideas of where you would like to
explore. One temple that you might find particularly interesting is the aforementioned
WatPhra Ram, which was founded in 1369. It is set in a delightfully laid out
garden with lotus blooms floating in a pond surrounded by the enigmatic ruins
of the temple. The sight begs the question of how the people in those times
could have designed and decorated such complex and and artistic structures with
the technology they possessed.
Another ancient temple worth visiting, that is still in good
repair, is WatPhra Si Sanphet which was founded in approximately 1448. Its
three bell-shaped chedis (monuments enshrining holy Buddhist relics) are
flanked by two columns of viharas (assembly halls and chapels) and surrounded
by sandstone images of Lord Buddha.
Before leaving Ayutthaya, a must, if you want to go home
with long-lasting memories, is a visit to the Chao Sam Phraya Museum. There
you'll see how Siam was influenced by the Mon and Khmer civilizations. You will
see well-preserved remains of Buddha images and mythological images from
Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. And you will also have the chance to see some
fabulous glittering treasures of gold and jewelry in the museum's east room
that were found in WatRatchaburana, luckily one of the only ones not looted by
the scavenging Burmese. The regalia of gold on display, the filigreed
headdresses, the ornamented war-elephant complete with howdah, a sword with a
crystal handle and a scabbard inlaid with precious stones, all of these
artifacts and more give a hint as to how fabulous a city Ayutthaya must once
have been. Visit https://spottico.com
No comments:
Post a Comment