Wat
Chaiwatthanaram, วัดไชยวัฒนาราม, is one of the most imposing of ancient Buddhist
monasteries. It was established at the command of King Prasatthong
in 1630 A.D. and is believed to be located on the site of his former
home. It may have been built to make merit for the king's mother, although it
has been
noted that the architecture of this wat is similar to that of Angkor
Wat and it is possible that Chaiwatthanaram was built to commemorate
the King's victory over Cambodia. The wat consists of a main prang
(Khmer-type tower) and four lesser prangs built on the same base, all
surrounded by eight lesser prangs and a gallery. One hundred twenty
gilt lacquered Buddha images in the attitude of maravijaya, or Victory
over Mara, the Evil One, were placed in the gallery. Twelve crowned
Buddha images were placed within the eight lesser prangs.
The main prang,
standing 35 meters tall, is in the early Ayutthaya style while the four
lesser prangs are in the style of King Prasattong. The form of the
eight lesser prangs may have been taken from that of a royal cremation
tower that represents Mt. Meru, the center of the universe.
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