How
little do we know of our neighboring countries and the impact exerted
by Indian culture there. Our knowledge is generally limited to our
Ayodhya in India - the birthplace of Lord Rama and we may not be aware
of how powerful an impact Ayodhya has had on Thailand.
The Empire of Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centred around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. It was considered one of the three great powers of Asia, alongside Vijayanagar of India and China, and is seen as the precursor of modern Thailand.
The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom. While discussing the history of Ayutthaya, one has broadly the Ayutthaya kingdom, and Ayutthaya town in mind of, say around 1540.
86 kilometres north of Bangkok, once the capital of the Thai Empire, Ayutthaya was an impressive city; with three palaces and over 400 temples. The ruins that now remain, many of which have been painstakingly restored, have been granted World Heritage status by UNESCO. The architecture of Ayutthaya is an interesting mix of Khmer and early Sukhothai styles. Some obelisks, called prangs, denote Khmer influence and look something like the towers of Angkor Wat. The more pointed stupas are believed to have been influenced by Sukhothai constructions.
This is an attempt to introduce Ayutthaya to Indian readers.
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