A photo ramble to Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya

Reclining Buddha at Wat (Temple) Yai Chai Mongkol. The enormous statue is covered with several gold cloths. Each day, one is removed and tied near the feet. I do not know how many there are, or if this a regular activity.

Ayutthaya (official name "Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya"), a former kingdom and capital of Siam in what is now Thailand and designated world heritage site, is a treasure of an ancient city that has been carefully preserved as the modern city grew around it. Temple stupas and walls dot the city both inside and outside of the "old city," an island that is delineated by rivers that surround it. Ayutthaya was founded in 1350, the second capital of Siam. By 1700, it was the largest city in the world, and the trading center of Asia.

I have been to Ayutthaya many times, and each time I discover something new, even in places I have toured before.

Recently, I traveled with fellow photographer and Bangkok Photo Rambler Jeremiah Boulware north of Bangkok (about a 45 minute drive) and wandered the area of Ayutthaya south of the Chao Praya River. Although we usually have one or two sites in mind, we never have a set itinerary, but let the sights and back streets guide us.

Following are photos of our half day ramble. It is always my intent to publish scenes that one is not likely to find on a post card, but that tell stories of the place and the people who live and visit there. I hope you enjoy the tour.

All photos © by the author unless otherwise noted. It is illegal to use any photo for any purpose without permission. If you are interested in using any of the images, please contact me at jsscience@yahoo.com.



WAT YAICHAI MONGKOL

The base of a large stupa ("chedi") at Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.
The temple was built in 1357

The buildings of Wat Yai Chai Mongkol are well preserved and the grounds neatly kept. The temple originally housed monks who studied in Ceylon during the 14th century. Many people still come to study meditation from monks of the sect, who live on the temple grounds.

View of one of the many Buddha statues on the grounds.

View of the central stupa of Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.

Scores of Buddha statues face and surround the central chedi. It is a very popular destination for Thai Buddhists and foreign tours. Here a devotee pays his respects.

From the walkway that circles the chedi about halfway up, I noticed Jeremiah photographing one of the temple's cats.

Jeremiah captures a scene from the chedi.

A garland of marigolds and jasmine laid on a ledge of the central chedi.

Reclining Buddha, partially seen through breaks in the wall.

Lotus blossoms may be had for a donation, and laid anywhere at the temple. Many people will place them or other flowers in front of Buddha statues, others place them at random sites on the grounds. The person in the white robe is a volunteer who stays at the temple to learn meditation, or to simply find a peaceful place to learn about the sect's teachings.

Many Thai people, and some foreigners, dress in traditional Thai clothing when visiting important temples. Here some teens document their visit.

This wooden building on the temple grounds has intricately carved panels and doors.

For a small donation, people receive a gold colored sash to put around one of the Buddha statues. 

It is interesting how "tuk tuks" vary from locale to locale. I have not seen any alike from different cities. This is the "Ayutthaya design."

CHINESE TEMPLE

We attempted to find some of the old European settlements in the area, but instead came across a riverside Chinese temple.

A reflection inside the temple.

A well used candelabra and urn for placing devotion candles and incense sticks.

Jeremiah's reflection captured in a small glass display case with a sculpted likeness of a respected monk. Often they are life-size. 

BETWEEN WATS...

A wrong turn took us to a U-turn and a serendipitous scene of a family bringing in their fish nets on a small artificial lake.

WAT PHUTTHAISAWAN

At our next stop, Wat Phutthaisawan, a family was gathered to pay respects to a deceased family member. A monk was presiding over the ceremony, while another recorded the event on his phone.

This jolly concrete laughing monk doll sits on the ledge of a small stupa. Several others of varying sizes with the same happy face had been placed around the stupa.

Tiny dancing figures adorn one of the stupa ledges.

This room may seem familiar to some: it was where scenes from the movie "Mortal Combat" were filmed. Here Jeremiah focuses on details of a figure.

This scene was so engaging that I stood right in the line of the photographers as I took my own shots! One does not often see monks photographing other people, particularly women. As we observed them, it was apparent that they were involved in some kind of photo shoot. Still, it was very unusual.

A reclining Buddha as seen through the window of one of the ruins.

Another scene from the photo shoot.

An entryway to the main temple

Detail of the central chedi (stupa, or prang), which is in Khmer style.

Two visitors take photos of each other outside of the main temple.

A young boy awaits his family among the Buddhas in one of the building ruins.

On either side of the main chedi (stupa) are two rooms housing very large Buddhas. 

On the ceiling are hundreds of bats.

ST JOSEPH CHURCH

Another famous worship site in Ayutthaya is the Catholic church of St. Joseph, founded by French missionaries in the 17th Century. The current building was built in 1888 on the site  of the previous building, which was destroyed in the 1800s.

A depiction of the last supper is ubiquitous in churches but this is the first one I have seen in which the disciples are seated around the table instead of on one side. This is a beautiful ceramic relief.

ALONG THE WAY...

On our way to a coffee shop at the end of a very hot morning, we passed this body shop where work was being done on a tuk tuk.

This lovely family had a stall at a small flea market just inside of the old city.

Hot and tired, we stopped into a nice coffee shop run by my friend Nicki, a businesswoman whom I tutored in English last year. She returned to Ayutthaya and opened "Ma Journey Coffee & Ice Cream," which is conveniently located near the market and train station. I recommend the iced honey lemon drink! So refreshing and delicious! Photo by Jeremiah Boulware.

Our last stop in Ayutthaya was a restaurant where we watched boats and barges move up and down the river. There are many riverside restaurants in Ayutthaya, a great way to wind up a trip before heading back to Bangkok! Besides driving, one may travel to Ayutthaya by boat or train.

There are just too many sights to see in Ayutthaya in one day. I have been coming to Ayutthaya about once a year for the past ten years and haven't visited all of the fabulous ruins yet. But that's a good thing: I enjoy every visit. I recommend a trip to this historic city if you visit Bangkok, even if for only a day. It will be a memorable part of your trip to Thailand.

To view an album of our Ayutthaya photo ramble, including beautiful photos by Jeremiah, go to Bangkok Photo Rambles on Facebook: @photoramblers

Making merit during Songkran: New Year's day in Thailand

A small altar set at one end of the platform where Buddhist monks sit during the ceremony. The string wrapped around the Buddha statue will be held by the monks during the ceremony.

The traditional Thai new year's day, Songkran, is celebrated on April 13th. I attended a celebration of Songkran in my village in eastern Bangkok to document Thai Buddhist customs during this auspicious day. The event is typically held for Theravada Buddhist devotees to "make merit" (tambon), to pray for a successful year, and involves the presence of Buddhist monks and giving of alms. People bring baskets of preserved food, fruits, rice, toiletries, and candles among other things. Many give cash gifts as well.

The event begins with a half hour of chanting by the monks, who sit on a platform facing the audience who are seated and hold their hands in the traditional "wai", a gesture of respect. At the end of the ancient chant (in Pali language), the monks recite a prayer that is echoed by the devotees. This is followed by offering the monks a meal, and then ceremonial alms giving. This particular ceremony lasted for two and a half hours. 

Following is a photo documentary of the new year's event, which is typical throughout the kingdom and other Buddhist countries who also celebrate new year's day in April. Each photo has a caption that details the particular activity.

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All photos are © by the author. It is illegal to use any photograph without permission. If use of any photograph is desired, please contact the author at jsscience@yahoo.com.

Monks from a meditation center wait quietly for the ceremony to begin.

These young assistants to the monks wait in the shade for the ceremony to begin.

Food is prepared and set for the monks who will eat after the first part of the ceremony.

People write messages of hope and wishes for prosperity and good health in the coming year. The messages are placed in a bowl. I am not sure what is done then. In Chinese Buddhism, the notes are burned so the messages go to the universe. It may also be simply the act of writing in order to visualize the dream. I did not see what happened to them, but am pretty sure they were not burned, at least not at the place where the ceremony occurred.

People listen in respectful silence as the monks chant. Not all Thais participate in these ceremonies. As an example, many played tennis in the courts next to this one as the ceremony took place. 

Monks chant in traditional Pali language, connected by a cotton thread that is tied to a Buddha image.

A woman adjusts her daughter's traditional Thai outfit as another daughter listens to the chants.

Roses and candles that will be given to the monks are taken around to give people an opportunity to take part in the blessing.

Part of the Songkran tradition is the pouring of scented water (usually with flower petals as shown here) on the hands of elders and on Buddha images. This is a small altar set up for devotees to participate in this tradition.

Devotees wait in line to pour water on a Buddha statue on a small altar.

Ashes of loved ones are brought in urns for blessing by the monks and pouring of water on the remains.

Monks eat first.

A young boy waits to take a basket of gifts to the monks.

Gifts are placed before the monks.

The monks walk around the inside of a square of tables laden with alms. Devotees place the items into or on the rim of a monk's bowl, and then it is quickly taken away by a helper and put in large bags for the monks to take back to their temple (or in this case, to their meditation center) for later use.

Monks receiving alms.

After the ceremony, a senior monk sprinkles holy water by touching the heads of devotees with flowers that have been dipped in the water.

As a finale, the monks chant a blessing before departing.

Although I am not a Buddhist, I do appreciate the history and teachings of Buddhism. In addition, since most Thais are Buddhists (at some level), I feel that it is important to learn about their culture through Spiritual ceremonies.

I was the only westerner to attend this particular ceremony. As I was leaving, a senior monk stopped me to ask if I would be interested in teaching the monks English at the meditation center. I said yes. In exchange, they will teach me about meditation. This was a wholly unexpected outcome, and I feel humbled and honored to have been asked.