Faded glory
Ayutthaya's jumble of Eastern and Western architecture and landmarks are welcome relief, but fail to hide the scars of war
- Published: 25/02/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Horizons
As capital of former Siam for a good 417 years, the longest run in our history, Ayutthaya is testimony to a past as much splendid as scarred.
No matter how much time has elapsed, even today it evokes tragic memories on an epic scale going back more than 200 years when Burmese troops lay siege and ransacked the city, after which for a brief period the capital moved to Thon Buri, followed by Bangkok that marked the start of the Rattanakosin period.
Therefore a visit to the neighbouring Ayutthaya is like stretching backwards a bit onto a path of rediscovery tinged with glory and also some grim chapters from history. For it is in Ayutthaya where lie the roots from which sprouted much of the Rattanakosin heritage we associate with the current Chakri Dynasty.
Just about 20 kilometres from the city centre of Ayutthaya is Bang Pa-in, the out-of-town retreat patronised by no less than three Chakri kings. A cluster of awe-inspiring structures of varying architecture adorn this landscape bisected by the Chao Phraya River, among them being a neo-classical mansion, a Chinese architectural masterpiece, a Buddhist monastery with Gothic facade and a conventional Thai pavilion.
During the Ayutthaya period, King Prasat Thong and his successors used this area for their summer retreat. After the fall of Ayutthaya, the tradition was discontinued until the reign of King Rama IV who had a royal residence constructed on the same site. The Bang Pa-in Palace as we know today, however, was built by King Rama V.
Unmatched elsewhere in the country, the complex's two separate sections serve as a veritable treasure trove of our national heritage and offer a fascinating glimpse into the lifestyle of the Thai royalty. While the outer area covers the main buildings for ceremonies and state functions, the inner sanctum used to be reserved for the kings and high-ranking members of the royal family.
As architecturally fascinating as the palace compound is the nearby Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat, where some truly distinctive landmarks seem more a clash than fusion of Eastern and Western forms of art.
Both Bang Pa-in Palace and Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat are located in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya. The palace is open everyday from 8am to 4pm. Admission is 20 baht for children, 30 baht for adult Thais and 100 baht for foreigners. Golf carts are also available for rent. For details, contact 035-261-548 and 035-261-044.
The history of Bang Pa-in Palace dates to the reign of King Prasat Thong of Ayutthaya. According to chronicles from the era, he was born to King Ekathotsarot and a village woman he met during a river cruise after his boat capsized at what is Bang Pa-in today. Following his coronation in 1630, the king had the temple built around what once was his mother’s home, along with the majestic palace named Aisawan Dhipaya Asana, the summer residence of several monarchs before the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767. The palace was abandoned and remained in a state of neglect until the reign of King Rama IV in the Rattanakosin period when it was restored and a new royal residence was constructed. When his son King Rama V ascended the throne, more structures and residences were added leading to the state in which we see it today. Today, Aisawan Dhipaya Asana is an opensided pavilion with four porches and a multi-tiered roof built in the middle of a pond by King Rama V. The structure is a replica of Aphorn Phimok Prasat, the royal dressing room, inside the Grand Palace which was initiated by King Rama IV. King Rama V christened the new structure after King Prasat Thong’s summer residence. His bronze statue was enshrined inside the pavilion by his son, King Rama VI.
Situated adjacent to the floating pavilion, Phra Thinang Varobhas Phimarn is a one-storey mansion built in neo-classical style to function as King Rama V’s throne hall. Later in 1918, during the reign of King Rama VI, the royal ceremony in which his son Prince Prajadhipok, later king, married Momchao Rambhai Barni Svasti was held here. Presently, the interior is segmented into various chambers including the throne hall of King Rama V, a reception hall, a dining room and a living quarter which played host to His Majesty King Bhumibol during his visits to Bang Pa-in Palace between 1974 and 1982.
Not only does state-of-the-art architecture of Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun give the venue its distinct identity and make it stand out from the rest of the edifices, it also acquaints visitors with the rich historical aspect and longstanding relations between Siam and China. Initiated by a group of Chinese businessmen and dedicated to King Rama V in 1889, this Chinese-style palace is dazzlingly beautified with an eclectic collection of ebony furniture, fine chinaware as well as delicate fretwork and wood carving that appear on the walls, columns, doors and windows. On the lower floor are the brilliantly embellished Chinese-style throne hall and the bedchambers of King Rama VI and his top aide, Chao Phraya Ramrakop. Wooden name plates of Kings Rama IV and V along with their queens inscribed in Chinese alphabet are kept on the upper storey of the building, where located are the living quarters of King Rama V and his queen, and his royal office as well as his son’s.
In 1887 the death of his consort, Princess Saovabhark Nariratana and his three children proved another major blow which left King Rama V in deep sorrow. He erected a marble cenotaph featuring the busts of the four near the earlier memorial dedicated to Queen Sunanda Kumariratana.
In 1880 Queen Sunanda Kumariratana, the queen consort of King Rama V, pregnant at the time, and his daughter Princess Karnabhorn Bejraratana, were on their way to the Bang Pa-in Palace when their royal vessel capsized at Pak Kret in Nonthaburi and they drowned. King Rama V, overwhelmed by grief, erected a marble cenotaph as a memorial to them. He also wrote their epitaphs in Thai as well as English, and had them inscribed on the monument.
Jutting into a pond is Hor Withun Thasana, the brightly-painted observatory tower built in the reign of King Rama V.
This vibrant edifice once functioned as the abbot’s rectory until Prince Damrong, who later became Somdej Krom Phraya Damrong Rajanubhab, was ordained as a monk at Niwet Dharma Prawat Temple. King Rama V had a new residential building erected for the abbot and reserved this one for his brother. This residence has become known as Tamnak Somdej Krom Phraya Damrong.
From Bang Pa-in Palace visitors can access Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat, a temple nestled on a tiny islet west of the palace, by a hand-operated trolley-like cable car that can carry 6-8 passengers at a time. The service is free of charge.
Installed above the entrance to the church is a stained glass image of King Rama V in royal regalia. The original one, however, was made in France around 1877.
Strolling the narrow path leading to the temple compound, one might blink in disbelief at the quaint European architecture on view there, making the cable car ride seem like a fling through Gothic Europe. Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat was founded in 1878 by King Rama V to serve as a site for religious ceremonies while residing in his summer palace. Although the exterior design of structures inside the temple compound is distinctly Western, the monastery is done in Dharmayut style, the form of Buddhism established by his father.
From outside the temple’s ordination hall manifests remarkably Gothic style characterised by elongated, steep spire and pointed arches, but on the inside its spellbinding interior decor reflects a harmonious marriage of architectural styles of the East and the West. The walls are exquisitely adorned with stained glass and exude highly embellished work of lively Western art, while the layout is typical Buddhist through the traditional setting of the altar with the temple’s principal Buddha image, Phra Buddha Naruemon Dharmophas, enshrined at the centre.
Flanking the statue are the Lord Buddha’s two chief disciples, Sariputta and Moggallana. Underneath the principal image on the lower base is Phra Nirantarai, the statuette in lotus position whose famed title was initiated by King Rama IV. This Buddha statue is one of 18 duplicated from the ancient golden Buddha image of the same name. Said to be unearthed by a farmer of Prachinburi Province in 1856, the original image was presented to the fourth Chakri monarch, who later placed it in Hor Sathiendharmaparit. One day a burglar broke into the chapel but failed to take this golden statue while making off with other less precious items. Seeing the statue survive two major threats, the monarch thought it was a miracle and decided to name it Phra Nirantarai, literally meaning a statue beyond harm.
This sundial was made by Lt Col Alfred Loftus, an officer in the Royal Navy of Siam, and presented to King Rama V in 1878.
Relate Search: Rattanakosin, Chakri Dynasty, Chao Phraya River, Bang Pa-in
About the author
- Writer: Patsinee Kranlert
- Position: Reporter
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