Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram

Erin — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 23:00:04 +0000

Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram is one of the many temple ruins that dot Ayutthaya, the ancient seat of power in Thailand. This region was once a thriving metropolis at the heart of the Thai civilization, boasting over 1 million inhabitants in 1700. Traders and merchants from all over Asia, the Middle East and parts of Europe came here to peddle their wares and broker trade agreements. But all of that came to an end in 1767. In 1767,King Tong-U of Burma invaded Ayutthaya and decimated the kingdom. Very few buildings were spared as they razed the capital. After the invasion Ayutthaya was all but abandoned and the few remaining structures crumbled with disrepair. Today Ayutthaya is a combination of UNESCO World Heritage Site and functional city. The ancient city of Ayutthaya was never rebuilt, but several years after the short-lived Burmese occupation a small village popped up near the site of the old capital. That village took on the name of Ayutthaya and is now a thriving city that preserves and maintains the ruins that are nearby. One of the structures that survived complete destruction is Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram. The sign outside the temple reads: This Temple is behind the royal palace inside the city wall to the west. According to Ayutthaya annals, the temple was built by King Eakathosarot circa AD 1593 the year King Naresuan the Great died while leading an army to attack King Tong-U in Burma. In honor of his elder brother, King Eakathosarot built a mighty crematorium here and some 10,000 monks were invited to the royal cremation. The main ancient shrine of the temple is a large brick and mortar Sukhothai-style bell shaped stupa. Inside the temple walls there are many buildings used for religious ceremony making, such as Vihara buildings, Ubosot Building and two small redented stupas on the same base. As you can see, the large stupa is still intact along with two massive Buddha statues. It is believed that this is where King Naresuan the Great was cremated. The only remaining building on the temple grounds. This is the interior of the temple. Not much remains except a well-preserved Buddha and the base of two small stupas. Even though the site is in ruins, it’s still clear to see how much importance this site holds to the Thai people. There are numerous restoration projects going on in the area and I really hope that Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram will be one of the sites restored to former glory.

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The Ruins of Pre Rup

Erin — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 17:51:36 +0000

Pre Rup is an ancient Khmer temple in Angkor, Cambodia, just outside Siem Reap. It was built about 961 AD and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Not much is known about this temple, but the common belief is that this temple was used for funeral ceremonies. “Pre Rup” translates to “turn the body”, which coincides with ancient Khmer funerary practices of rotating a person’s ashes during the funeral ceremony. When you first arrive at Pre Rup, this is what greets you. From a distance is just looks like a pile of disordered rubble, but as you get closer you can see the detail and precision that went into creating the walls and towers. On all four sides of Pre Rep are series of aligned doorways. These are believed to have once held elaborately carved stone pyramid-style arches. The use of this water cistern is debated by scholars. Some think it was used in funeral ceremonies while others think it was a base for a bronze statue. To the left you can see a typical setup for cloth paintings. Vendors that sell painted cloth are at each of the temples and they come up with some really fascinating pieces. Pre Rup was built using laterite and brick. Laterite is a form of clay that is rich in iron and aluminum and has a rusty red hue because of the iron oxides in the soil. This clay is found primarily in wet tropical areas that have high temperatures, making it an abundant substance in Cambodia. At the top of the central staircase you can see the remnants of two dragon statues. Due to vandalism, most of the dragon statues at the Angkor era temples are missing their faces. This structure is commonly called a ‘library’, but it is not believed that actual manuscripts or any type of written work was housed here. The true purpose is unknown, but it is believed that these types of structures were a form of religious shrine. When we were walking around one of the galleries down there, I didn’t lean down far enough when going through a doorway. Cambodian people are pretty short now, but they must have been a lot shorted several thousand years ago. I smacked my head pretty good on the arch and had to sit down a minute. Troy thought it was the funniest thing in the world and took to miming me every time we went through a doorway for the rest of the day. Each temple in Cambodia still functions as an operating temple. These buddhas and flowers are taken care of and prayed to daily by devout parishioners. As we left Pre Rup, we were treated the a lovely view of one of the man-made lakes that used to feed into the moat that is no longer around Pre Rup.

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Wat Wora Chet Tha Ram

The Ruins of Pre Rup