Description: |
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Wat Suwandararam is located on the city island near the Pom Phet
fortress. There are two entrances along U-Thong Road leading
to this active monastery. During the Ayutthaya period, this
area had a thriving community of Chinese traders. It was
full of warehouses for maritime markets, and foreign boats were
required to dock in the nearby harbor. A canal wrapped
around Wat Suwandararam, which led to the Pom Phet and Pom
Hor Rajakuk fortresses. There monastery may be pictured in
several maps by foreigners. The 1660 Dutch map by Vingboons
clearly show a temple at this location. The 1751 map by de
La Mare lists a Chinese pagoda in the area. These may have
been precursors to the construction of Wat Suwandararam.
Wat Suwandararam was build by the father of King Yodfa (Rama I)
of the Chakri dynasty, who was named Thongdee (Kasetsiri &
Wright 114). The temple
was formerly known as Wat Thong (Golden Temple) in the Late
Ayutthaya period. King Yodfa later renamed it after
obtaining the throne. While Phraya Tak ruled in Thonburi, Yodfa
(them named Thong Duang) was his most trusted military
general. Thong Duang went on numerous military campaigns
during Phraya Tak’s reign, including a successful invasion
of Lao. However, in 1782, a group of rebels killed the governor
of Ayutthaya and marched toward Thonburi. These rebels were
able to force Phraya Tak to abdicate his throne (Terwiel
58-60). In the political aftermath, Phraya Tak was executed, and
Thong Duang eventually obtained the throne - creating the
new Chakri dynasty. As a result, Wat Suwandararam became one
of the first monasteries in Ayutthaya to receive royal
patronage after the fall of the city in 1767, and this temple
continued to be beautified by future Chakri Kings. |
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