Since King Ramesuan’s reign lasted only 1 year, the construction of this temple is believed to be completed in the reign of the next king or King Racharhirat I; otherwise, the construction of this temple might be completed during the time when King Ramesuan accessed to the throne for the second time 20 years later.
The outstanding archaic construction of this temple is the great pagoda that is in pretty good conditions and is surrounded by many other pagodas and stupas in medium and small sizes.
At the back of Phra Ram Temple, there is a big pond, which is a
WAT PHRA RAM (?????????)
Credits
History
The exact time of its construction is not known as the various Chronicles of Ayutthaya give different timings of its construction. The oldest version, the Luang Prasoet, written during the Late Ayutthayan era, states its establishment in 1369. Later versions written in the post-Ayutthayan era put its construction in the year 1434, after the death of Borommaracha II (r. 1424-1448) and the throne ascending of King Borommatrailokanat (r. Ayutthaya 1448-1463 / r. Phitsanulok 1463 -1488), somehow 65 year later.
"And on the cremation site for King Ramathibodi I, he who had founded the Capital, the King had a holy monastery established, consisting of a great holy reliquary and a holy preaching hall, and he named it the Phra Ram Monastery."
The Luang Prasoet version tells us that Wat Phra Ram was the first constructed temple at the time King Ramathibodi I passed away. The later versions could also be interpreted as that the monastery was expanded with a Khmer-styled prang and a vihara. Nobody knows exactly.
The general time line of its construction followed by most scholars is that King Ramesuan (r.1369-1370 / 1st reign) ordered the construction of Wat Phra Ram in 1369 at his father’s cremation site. King Ramesuan abdicated after a year while the construction was not yet completed. His successor King Borommaracha I (r.1370-1388) probably carried on Wat Phra Ram’s construction work. Another assumption is that King Ramesuan resumed the work after his return to the throne (r.1388-1395 / 2nd reign). A major renovation of is presumed to have been undertaken in the reign of King Borommatrailokanat. Another major restoration took place in 1741 in the Late Ayutthaya period during Borommakot’s reign (r. 1733-1758).
he acquisition of merit
But why such temples? Robert Heine-Geldern explains in his "Conceptions of State and Kingship in Southeast Asia" (1956) that the religious merit acquired in previous lives, zakes a man born a king or makes him acquire kingship during his lifetime. Merit was as thus political legitimacy. The more merit was accrued (in building temples and offering valuables), the more legitimacy for the king or the king-to-be was endowed.
The whole kingship is about the possession of great religious merit. Central to Buddhism, but especially to Theravada is the acquisition of "Bun" (lit: merit). The concept of merit was based on the law of karma (Th: kam) and was in fact the basis for the Theravada Kingship. Constructing a temple was regarded as highly meritorious and the deed that brought most merit. By donating the site to the monkhood, the king could acquire merit at the same time as he showed his reverence for his predecessor or royal ancestor, commemorated in the temple. To deposit the remains of a former king inside a prang or chedi would also ensure his eventual rebirth as a Buddha.
The same concept of merit was applicable to valuables deposed in crypts. It has long been a funeral custom to deposit valuable and cherished belongings of the deceased together with the ashes of the dead. Relatives made votive offerings specially fabricated for the occasion in the gesture of making merit (hence the many votive tablets found in the different crypts). For example most of the treasures found in the crypt of Wat Racha Burana were the possessions of the two princes (even clothes, the latter although perished instantly when dug up and came in contact with the atmosphere). Some part of them might been inherited by them from their ancestors. A large number of votive objects came probably from the third brother, King Borommaracha II. Also close followers donated their treasures to the deceased as a token of their homage and in a gesture of merit making.
In the Early Ayutthaya period it seemed to be a custom to establish a monastery on the Royal funeral pyre and to erect a funeral monument (chedi/prang) for the deceased in commemoration. Examples for this period were next to Wat Phra Ram (funeral pyre of King Ramathibodi I), Wat Racha Burana - funeral pyre of the princes Phraya Ay & Yi and King Intharacha (r.1409-1424). This continued in the Middle Ayutthaya period, for example: Wat Sop Sawan - Funeral pyre of Queen Suriyothai and daughter - Memorial Chedi at Wat Suan Luang. Another practice throughout the Ayutthayan era was to build a monastery on the site of a former royal residence, examples were: Wat Phutthaisawan - Palace site of U-Thong prior establishing Ayutthaya; Wat Sri Sanphet - Old Grand palace location and Wat Chai Wathanaram - Residence of Prasat Thong's foster mother (although here were also other motives).
Architecture
Wat Wat Phra Ram as Wat Maha That, Wat Phutthaisawan and the later built Wat Racha Burana follows the Khmer concept of temple construction. We find nearly identical, but earlier built structures at Angkor. Phnom Bakheng, Preah Rup, East
Mebon, Baphuon and Ta Keo were all Temple Mountains, consisting of a central tower surrounded by four corner towers, forming a quincunx, the latter also often was surrounded by a courtyard and a gallery. I will not repeat the architectural features of this type of temple, as it has been already elaborated on the web page of the other three above mentioned temples. Here I would like to let history speak, in the description of Wat Phra Ram written by the French Jesuit Guy Tachard during his stay in Ayutthaya in 1685.