Wat Mongkhon Bophit - Beautiful Restored Temple In Ayutthaya Historical Park - Thailand 2024

Wihan Phra Mongkhon วิหารพระมงคลบพิตร

Phra Mongkhon Bophit or the Buddha of the Holy and Supremely Auspicious Reverence was sculpted in 1538 in the reign of King Chairacha at Wat Chi Chiang Sai. 1538 is generally accepted as the year that the image was built, based on the Luang Prasoet version of the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya.

In the early Ayutthaya era there was no particular place set aside for the royal cremation ceremonies. When a king died an area would be chosen for the ritual. After the ceremonies had been performed the location where the cremation took place became the site of a new monastery.

From available evidence we know that King Chairachathirat ordered the building of Wat Chichiang and a chedi in the vicinity of a cremation spot, and the casting of an image. Phra Mongkhonbophit has been identified as the image which King Chairachathirat had sculpted in 1538 A.D. at Wat Chichiang.

The royal chronicles mention that in 1610 AD. King Songtham ordered the Buddha image known as Phra Mongkhonbophit to be moved and ordered the construction of a mandapa to house the Buddha in 1612.

King Songtham chose to limit the area for cremations to the central part of the town, near Wat Chichiang. This was the reason for moving the Buddha image to a new spot in the Western sector, after which its original site was used for a cremation area.

In the reign of King Sua, lightning struck the top of the mandapa and it collapsed. The head of Phra Mongkhonbophit fell off. As a result the king had the mandapa rebuilt and turned into a wihan .

ln the reign of King Borommakot (1732-1758 AD.) another restoration took place. When Ayutthaya was sacked the wihan was burnt.

The Phra Mongkhonbophit image was last restored in 1955.

In 1990 the Mongkhonbophit Foundation in Ayutthaya decided to cover the image with gold leaf and the work was completed two years later.

It lies next to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, and both the ruins of Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the more contemporary Wat Mongkhon Bophit can be visited at the same time.

The main feature at Wat Mongkhon Bophit is the large bronze (gilded) Buddha image, named Phra Mongkhon Bophit, which is close to 17 meters high (when including the 4.5 meter high base).

The temple is one of the most beautiful to visit in Ayutthaya. It shouldn’t be missed if you are exploring the historical park.

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