March 24, 2022

WAT PHRAYA MAEN (วัดพระยาแมน)
Wat Phraya Maen is located north of the city island along Khlong Sra Bua. The exact date that Wat Phraya Maen was established is unclear. Royal Chronicles refer
to a respected figure known as Phraya Maen, who was commanded by King Chakkraphat to take one thousand freemen and escort Princess Thepkasattri to Lan Sang - present day Lao - where she was set to marry.

According to historian David Wyatt, in order to strengthen his kingdom, the Laotian
King Setthathirat moved his capital to Vientiane and fortified it with walls. He then
proposed a marriage alliance with Ayutthaya and requested that Princess Thepkasattri –
the daughter of Queen Suryothai - become his wife. King Chakkraphat tried to trick his allies by sending a less desirable daughter instead, the younger Princess Kaeo Fa. When King Setthathirat discovered the ruse, it threatened relations among the two kingdoms, so it was arranged to send the original princess as promised. Unfortunately, Maha Thammaracha, then in alliance with Burmese troops, learned of this plan and sent his armies out to intercept her. The envoy was ambushed, the dowry seized, and the princess taken to Burma and held in captivity. The fate of Phraya Maen is uncertain. However, this story implies that the monastery might have existed under his name as early as King Chakkraphat’s reign (1548-1569).

Royal Chronicles also show that King Phetracha recognized Wat Phraya Maen as a
Royal temple in 1694 to celebrate his victory against rebellions in Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Nakhon Ratchasima. These uprisings were sparked due to his usurpation of the throne from King Narai. Since a revered monk who lived at this temple prophesized that King Phetracha would get to rule the wealth of an absolute monarch, King Phetracha made royal donations to this monastery after he was crowned. A royal command was issued to restore and beautifully decorate the recitation hall, the preaching hall, the seminary, and residential dormitories. When the restoration was complete, an elaborate festival was launched that lasted several days and nights. Three hundred monks were conscripted to chant at the event. King Phetracha personally attended, along with a procession of military boats, while perched on a holy throne. Mostly likely King Phetracha traveled from the Royal Palace to the monastery via Khlong Sra Bua.

Wat Phraya Maen remained a royal temple until the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. Many valuable artifacts were found while excavating this site: Buddha images, a cauldron for smelting metals, and a large variety of Chinese pottery.

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