King Naresuan the Great, Chedi—Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
N 14° 20.730 E 100° 35.544
47P E 671724 N 1586528
A large, ancient stupa, restored, or possibly created, by King Naresuan, in central Thailand.
Waymark Code: WMDTTM
Location: Thailand
Date Posted: 02/24/2012
Views: 6
Background:
Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat (King Naresuan the Great), (1555-1605 CE) is one of the great Kings of Thailand. He is widely revered in the Kingdom due to his having freed the Siamese people from Burmese rule. The future King was born to the King of what is now the quiet, central Thai city of Phitsanulok. At that time Phitsanulok was am important city of the Siamese, Sukhothai Kingdom, which was subordinate to Burma. As part of this political arrangement the young Naresuan and his brother were held in Burma as hostages for the good behaviour of his father, the King of Phitsanulok.
There is a legend that the young future King was lonely while in captivity, and befriended chickens (and the practice of cock fighting). This legend is made manifest, by an abundance of statues of chickens located at shrines and statues to the King.
After Naresuan returned to Phitsanulok and became King, he declared the Siamese people and kingdoms independent from Burma. This declaration required two decades or more of intermittent and complicated conflict to enforce. Naresuan also moved the capital of the Siamese state southwards to Ayutthaya, which was to remain the capital of the new Kingdom of Ayutthaya for the following three centuries.
The banknote:
This is the reverse of the Thai 50 baht banknote (~$2), a denomination in common usage. On the right of the banknote, behind the seated King, is the image of a chedi (Buddhist burial mound). This is the prominent Chedi near the historic City of Ayutthaya, Phra Chedi Chai Mongkol. This banknote was first issued on January 18, 2012. This series of banknotes depicts the great, historical kings of Thailand.
from the Bank of Thailand website:
"The images of the statue of King Naresuan Pouring water on the ground, symbolizing the declaration of independence, King Naresuan with his sword leading his troops to beat the Burmese camp, the statue of King Naresuan at the Don Chedi Memorial compund, Phra Chedi Chai Mongkol located at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol, Phara Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province."
The Original:
This Chedi was originally built in the 10th century by the Siamese King U-thong, who founded the city of Ayutthaya. It was refurbished and enlarged by King Naresuan following a major victory over the Burmese, to the south of the city. It lies within the Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.
The image on the banknote looks somewhat stylised. The Chedi is in a crowded area of the Wat. I included two photos of the Chedi to best illustrate its appearance.
To be frank, I found little hard evidence about this chedi online. There even seems to be a question as to whether it was founded by King U-thong or by Naresuan. Nor could I find details as to its specifications. What I can say is that Wat Yai Chai Mongkol is large and impressive wat, south of the city train station (waymarked), with many things to see, and that the Chedi dominates the Wat. Worth a visit.
Money Issuing Country: Thailand
Currency: Baht
Denomination: 50
Date of Issue: 01/18/2012
Type of Money: Bank note
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
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