'Ayutthaya - the old Capital of Thailand, Part-II' - by K J S Chatrath .

'Ayutthaya - the old Capital of Thailand' - by K J S Chatrath

How little we know of our neighbouring countries and the impact exerted by Indian culture there. Till I went to Thailand last month, I only knew of our Indian Ayudhya which has been in the news for controversy nregarding building of a Rama Temple there. I did not know how powerful impact Ayudhya has had on Thailand.

Ayutthaya (officially Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya) is a province in central Thailand, north of Bangkok. Its capital city, also called Ayutthaya, was the seat of the Kingdom of Siam and a prosperous trading port from the 14th century, until it was razed by the Burmese in 1767. The old city ruins, with Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues, now form the Historic City of Ayutthaya.

 

 The Historic City of Ayutthaya, founded in 1350, was the second capital of the Siamese Kingdom.  It flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries, during which time it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a center of global diplomacy and commerce. Ayutthaya was strategically located on an island surrounded by three rivers connecting the city to the sea. This site was chosen because it was located above the tidal bore of the Gulf of Siam as it existed at that time, thus preventing attack of the city by the sea-going warships of other nations. The location also helped to protect the city from seasonal flooding.

At present, it is located in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.  The total area of the World Heritage property is 289 ha.

The city was attacked and razed by the Burmese army in 1767 who burned the city to the ground and forced the inhabitants to abandon the city. The city was never rebuilt in the same location and remains known today as an extensive archaeological site.    Once an important center of global diplomacy and commerce, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin, characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, which give an idea of the city’s past size and the splendor of its architecture.

With economic prosperity, Ayutthaya’s Kings put kingdom’s wealth into construction of temples and religious monuments as well as the arts. Known as the 'Golden Age' of medicine in Thailand, the Ayutthya period first came into contact with the Western World during the 16th century, when the Portuguese Ambassador, Duarte Fernandesarrived there in 1511. By the 18th century, trade with the Dutch and French flourished, and Ayutthya was considered to be the largest city in the world. 

All that remains of this sandstone Buddha image is a part of its head, while the body has disappeared, the head is in the style of Ayutthaya period, it lies beneath a Bodhi tree beside the minor Wihans.

Ayutthaya’s wealth attracted traders and emissaries from across the continent as well as Europe. At its height of prosperity, Ayutthaya maintained close diplomatic and trade ties with Louis XIV’s court in France, Portugal, Holland, Persia, China and Japan, until it was felled in the last battle of the Siamese-Burmese Wars, which lasted 224 years (from 1539 to 1767). This final battle sealed the fate of the kingdom forever, as it was ransacked and burned completely to the ground.

Bang Pa-In Summer Palace: Constructed during the reign of Somdet Phra Chao Prasat Thong (1629-1656), this palace complex (20km south of Ayutthaya) is set on a lovely landscaped lake garden that was once an island itself. Abandoned after Ayutthaya fell, it was rebuilt by King Rama V (r. 1868-1910) who commissioned additional buildings in an eclectic style that blends European neoclassical and Victorian architectures with Early Ayutthaya and Chinese palace styles. More would follow on my visit to this Palace.

Exhibiting sophisticated techniques and styles, Ayutthaya’s architectural heritage is an amalgam of Lopburi, Sukhothai, Dvaravati, U-Thong, ancient Khmer and Persian styles. Today, Ayutthaya’s temple and palace ruins serve as a powerful reminder of Siam’s glorious past.

(Write up based on information sourced from UNESCO site and other web sources mainly http://www.thailand-guide.com/ayutthaya/ayutthaya-world-heritage.htm)

More photos taken by me in Ayutthaya Thailand  in December 2019 would follow.......

'A view of the Holy Lingaraj Temple Complex, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by K J S Chatrath.

'A view of the Holy Lingaraj Temple Complex, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by K J S Chatrath.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPRQ45abxJw&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2EuJRlARHgTKsh3XLtZYUZoPnvU-kQS8kWa4kbqxaC-2tloTvHTBN0BoE

'Hindu temples of erstwhile Champa Kingdom, Vietnam' - by K J S Chatrath

A few days back I visited MySon the site of erstwhile Hindu Kingdom of Champa in Central Vietnam. MỹSơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples in Vietnam, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century by the kings of Champa.

The temples are dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is Bhadreshvara. My Indian heart was chuffed to see a board announcing that these temples are being restored with the help of Archeological Survey of India.

 Detailed write up and photos would follow on my website www.fiftyplustravels.com & blog https://fiftyplustravels.blogspot.com