Wat Phra Sri San Phet situated on the city island in Ayutthaya’s UNESCO World Heritage
Park in Pratu Chai sub-district,was the biggest temple in the area at its peak and is historically very significant. The temple is situated in a compound that was originally used as a royal palace and home to a number of kings during the Ayutthaya period. The design of the temple inspired the design of the Emerald Buddha Chapel in Bangkok and holds three large Chedi containing the ashes of three Ayutthayan kings.
In 854, a year of the rat, the King erected a great stupa for the holy ashes of King Boromtrailok and of King Boromracha III.”
In 1350 Prince U-Thong ordered a palace built in an area called Nong Sano, actual the area in the vicinity of Bung Phra Ram. The palace contained three wooden buildings named "Phaithun Maha Prasat", "Phaichayon Maha Prasat", and "Aisawan Maha Prasat". Upon finalization of the palace in 1351, he established Ayutthaya as his capital and was bestowed the title of King Ramathibodi I. The original size of the old palace compound is believed to be the same as the area of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet today.
Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, being part of the royal palace, was exclusively used by the Ayutthayan Kings. No clergy was allowed to reside on the grounds, with exception of an occasionally invitation to pray and to perform ceremonies such as the taking of an oath of allegiance for royal officers and for preaching and merit-making by the King. The expansion of the temple caused the moving of the Buddhist center from Wat Maha That to Wat Phra Sri Sanphet.
The temple enshrined also the Phra Buddha Lokanat (Protector of the World) and the Phra Buddha Palelai. Ashes of the members of the royal family were placed in small chedi constructed at the site.
The Greek cross-shaped viharn at the west side of the temple was added during the reign of King Narai. It is not clear if the square mondop structures adjacent to the chedi were built around this time or later.
On the eve of the Burmese invasion, the central portion of the temple included three gilded chedis, three gilded mondops (square buildings adjacent to the chedis that held objects of worship), and two very large viharns.
When Ayutthaya fell in April 1767, the Burmese sacked and burned the monastery to the ground. All but the chedis were completely destroyed. Buddha images were taken away and from the larger ones, the gold was melted. The Buddha image Phra Palelai in the southern chapel was completely destroyed.
The partially restored ruin includes all the buildings that survived the sack of 1767. In the early twentieth century only the eastern chedi was still standing.
During our visit, there where students who are excavating ruins for future re-construction.
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