Chedi Phukhao Thong (เจดีย์ภูเขาทอง)
Thai. ‘Golden Mountain
Stupa’.
Name of the second
tallest
pagoda
in
Ayutthaya.
The
stupa
is named after the adjacent Buddhist temple Wat Phukhao
Thong which was founded in 1387 AD by
Somdet
Phra
Ramesuan, the son of Somdet Phra
Ramathibodi I
(fig.),
the founder of
Ayutthaya. A
new
chedi was
built in 1569 AD over the
original stupa by the Burmese
King and military leader
Bayinnaung
(fig.)
to commemorate his victory after having taken Ayutthaya. The stupa
stands
on a large square base with four levels or terraces
and
originally in
Mon
style. At ground level the pyramid-like base measures 69 meters per
side, while at the fourth level it is only 32.4 meters per side.
There are staircases to the highest level on all four sides, which
is typical in Burmese-style pagodas. The monument was restored
several times between the reigns of Somdet Phra
Maha Dhamma Racha
and Somdet Phra
Phetracha, spanning a period from
1569 to
1703 AD, and in
the reign of Somdet Phra
Chao
Yoo Hua
Borommakoht,
who reigned from 1733 to 1758 AD, a major renovation was carried out
in which the tower was refashioned in the prevailing Thai style of that time.
Whereas the base was preserved in its original form, the tower was
redone as a
redented chedi
with a recess floor plan known
in Thai as
yo mum.
The redented chedi has arched recesses with gilded door frames and
each containing a
Buddha image
on all four sides, is supported by an octagonal base, and is topped
by a ringed spire of which the peak is gilded. In the
Rattanakosin
period, the chedi collapsed but
was repaired in 1956, during the second term of
Field Marshall
Phibun Songkram
(fig.)
as Thailand's premier.
At that time
a golden orb weighing 2.5 kilo, i.e. 2,500 grams was installed at
the pinnacle
to commemorate the celebration of 25th Century
of the Buddhist
Era (fig.)
in 1957 AD (2500
BE).
The total
height
measures
2
sen, 5
wah
and 1
keub, which is
about
90 meters, making it just 1 wah, i.e.
ca. 2 meter, shorter than the
bell-shaped
chedi
of
Wat Yai Chai Mongkon
(fig.),
the tallest
stupa
in Ayutthaya province
which was built by King
Naresuan
in 1592, in order to
commemorate his
victory over the
viceroy
of
Burma, whom he had
defeated in a duel fought on the backs of
war elephants
in
Nong Sarai (fig.).
In 2017, the monument got another overhaul. See also
list of Thai Kings,
list
of Thai
Prime Ministers,
THAI MILITARY RANKS,
TRAVEL PICTURES,
and
MAP.
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