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Ayutthaya Discovered : วัดราชบูรณะ / Wat Ratchaburana

621 views · Published 24 March 2015 · 2:40 · Indexed 12 November 2026

Channel: Nigel Fowler Sutton · 2015 · Travel & Events

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The Temple is located in the heart of the Ayutthaya Historical Park and the temple's main prang is one of the finest in the city. 

Wat Ratchaburana was founded in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and built on the cremation site of his two elder brothers. The two brothers had fought to their deaths in a duel for the royal succession to their father Intha Racha.

In 1957 the temple's crypt was looted of a large number of Buddha images and gold artifacts. The thieves were later caught, but few of the treasures were recovered. Some that were recovered are now housed in the nearby Chao Sam Phraya Museum. Subsequent excavations of the crypt have uncovered many more rare Buddha images.

The temple's central prang is currently undergoing restoration. Original stucco work can be seen, for example Garuda swooping down on nāga. Other mythical creatures as well as lotus are featured. Four Sri Lankan stupas surround the main prang.

The prang's crypt, accessible by steep and narrow stairs, houses wonderful frescoes, all be it a little faded. These comprise rare examples from the early Ayutthaya period.
The crypt's Buddha images is now housed in the Chao Sam Phraya Museum

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