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.
Title AYUTTHAYA - THE OLD CAPITAL OF THAILAND (SKU22748) is now in distribution and is available for sale at
pothi.com and partner sites.
Here are the links for this book on various sites:
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