Wat Na Phra Meru Temple Ayutthaya - The Only Temple Not Looted by the Burmese วัดหน้าพระเมรุ

WAT NA PHRA MEN (วัดหน้าพระเมรุ)

Wat Na Phra Men or the Monastery in Front of the Funeral Pyre sometimes called Wat Na Phra Meru is located off the city island in the northern area of Ayutthaya.

The temple was constructed during the reign of King Ramathibodi II (1491-1529), the
10th king of the Ayutthaya Suphannaphum/Suphanburi dynasty in 1503 and received the
name Wat Phra Meru Rachikaram. Wat Phra Meru occupied a prominent place in front of the Royal Palace. As its name indicates, it must have been established at a Royal cremation area.

King Chakkraphat (r. 1548-1569) captured a lot of white elephants during his reign and
this news crossed the borders quickly. The King of Burma requested again to obtain two
animals, a request which was turned down by Siam. In 1563 (1), the King of Burma,
Bayinnaung (r.1551-1581), came down with a large army in order to enforce his
request. He captured all the cities in the north and descended on Ayutthaya. King
Chakkraphat saw that the Burmese army largely outnumbered his and decided to resolve the issue through parleys. He ordered to erect a royal building with two thrones, equal in height in the area between the Phra Meru Rachikaram Monastery and the Hatsadawat Monastery. Then he had a jeweled-adorned throne prepared higher than the royal thrones, and had a Buddha image to preside over the meeting. The terms imposed by the King of Burma were onerous. Prince Ramesuen, Phya Chakri and Phya Sunthorn Songkhram, the leaders of the war party, were to be delivered up as hostages, an annual tribute of thirty elephants and three hundred catties of silver was to be sent to Burma, and the Burmese were to be granted the right to collect and retain the customs duties of the port of Mergui - then the chief emporium of foreign trade. In addition to this, four white elephants were to be handed over, instead of the two originally demanded. King Chakkraphat had no choice than deliver up to keep a truce. All Siamese prisoners were released and the Burmese army returned home.

In 1760, the Burmese King Aloungphaya (1752-1760) invaded Ayutthaya. On the first
day of the waxing moon of the sixth month in the morning of the year 1760, the Burmese
positioned their guns again at Wat Phra Men and at the Monastery of the Elephant Landing. They started firing on the Grand Palace during the day and the night and were even able to hit and destroy the spire of the palace.

There is a record that Wat Na Phra Men was renovated during the reign of King Borommakot (1733-1758). After Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese troops, Wat Na Phra Men was left unattended for more than half a century until Phraya Chai Wichit who was the city mayor in the reign of King Rama III restored it between 1835 and 1838. The traditional Ayutthayan style was maintained. Phraya Chaivichit gathered the left-over antiquities, which were scattered around the city, so that they could be kept at this monastery. More renovations took place in 1914 and 1957.

Today Its still a working temple and worth a stop for anyone in the city. The buildings and artifacts are part of thei history and a real pleasure to see Enjoy the video!

You can also see my videos on the following video hosting platforms Rumble, Bitchute, Odysee and Subscribe Star. If you have any questions of comments and wish to contact me directly I can be reached by email at endlessjourneytravels@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter @AEndlessJourney

#endlessjourney
#thailand
#travel