In Thailand, in the city of Ayutthaya, on the territory of the Wat Mahathat temple, an unusual tree grows - among its roots you can see the head of Buddha. Once, Wat Mahathat was a royal monastery, occupying a huge area, and it was here that the main residence of Buddhists was. In 1767, when the city was destroyed by the Burmese, this temple, like many others, was burned down and is still in ruins.
Ayutthaya (Phyutia) - the former capital of Siam, - today perhaps the most impressive ruins on the Asian continent - is located in the wide fertile valley of Chao Phrai, in its bend. Chao Phraya and two other rivers define the natural boundaries of the city. They are connected by a canal, so that the city lies on an artificially created island.
The main temples can be explored on foot, but with a bike rental you can see a lot more. The largest temple in Ayutthaya was Wat Phra Si Sanphet, it was part of the palace complex. The temple was built in the XIV century. It has three stupas.
Some temples were built in the Khmer style, many, although in ruins, are still magnificent. There are many images of the Buddha, including the image in the temple of Wat Pha Meru from Sri Lanka - this statue is said to be 1300 years old. Unfortunately, many of the figures were damaged by the Burmese invaders, and more recently, treasure thieves stole several heads of the statues. Nevertheless, for the Thais, this is a sacred place, here they dress the figures of Buddha in yellow robes, scatter flower petals and burn incense.
History of the city
Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam from 1350-1767. Visitors from the West enthusiastically described it as "the most beautiful city ever seen." In the XI century. Khmers to the northeast of the present station, next to the Wat Khudi Dau, founded a small city - an outpost of their empire.
In the XIII century. The country lying in the Chao Phrai valley was seized and conquered by the Thais, and Ayutthaya and Lopburi became part of the Utkhong principality, vassal of Sukhot-hai. After the terrible plague of 1347, which reduced the population by more than half, the prince was forced to leave the city of Uthong. His new capital, he made the Ayutthaya washed by the rivers, the main part of which was located in a place convenient for defense to the south of Chao Phraya.
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Once again, the kingdom of Siam fell apart into several principalities after the death of Rama Kamheng, which was the reason for Uthong to throw off his vassal dependence on Sukhothai. In 1350, the prince declared his possession as an independent state, and himself - as a king under the name of Somdet Phra Rama Thibodi I (sometimes he is called King Uthong). The new state was named after its capital - Ayutthaya. Rama Thibodi I declared himself the reincarnation of the god Vishnu, as well as the reborn hero of the Indian epic Ramayana. These claims of divine origin at the time of the coronation were confirmed by eight brahmanas from the sacred Indian city of Varanasi.
The mystery of the Buddha's head
According to legend, the Burmese cut off the heads of the Buddha statues with swords, but in order to humiliate the Thais even more, the Burmese buried their heads in the ground so that the Thais could walk on them. On the territory of various temples, you can still see many decapitated Buddhist statues. They say that on the territory of the Wat Mathat temple, nature itself opposed this state of affairs and the roots of a growing tree carried the head of the Buddha to the surface of the earth.