Guide : After this I’ll show you another large Buddha image in Ayutthaya, Phra Mongkhon Bophit.

Tourist : What’s the name of the temple housing this image ?

Guide : This image is not in a temple. It is housed in the vihan or the image hall over there.

Tourist : Was the vihan recently built ?

Guide : The present vihan was built in 1955 A.D. by joint contributions of the Thai and the Burmese governments, and was completed in 1958.

Tourist : Why did the Burmese government donate the money for this purpose ?

Guide : Probably because the original vihan was burnt down by the Burmese army

when Ayutthaya was sacked in 1767 A.D. The Burmese might have thought

that the gilt image was made of pure gold so they set fire to the vihan to melt the gold covering the image.

Consequently, the roof fell on the image and damaged the head and the right arm. When the Burmese prime minister, Unu, visited Ayutthaya in 1955, he must have felt guilty to see the image left unprotected. Upon his return to Burma, the Burmese government

donated 200,000 baht as their contribution to build the vihan and the Thai government donated 150,000 baht.

Tourist : Is the image made of gold ?

Guide : No, it’s not. This image is made of brick and plaster covered with bronze, 3-4 inches thick, then lacquered and gilt. It’s 12.45 meters high. The image was first repaired in the reign of King Rama V of Bangkok, but the vihan was left unrepaired.

Tourist : When was the image built ?

Guide : When it was built is unknown, but judging from the art style it should belong to the Early Ayutthaya period, as the image shows the traits of both U-thong and Sukhothai styles. However, according to a chronicle, some historians believe that it

was built by the 20 th reign, King Ekatosarot, the father of King Song Tham, in dedication to his elder brother, King Naresuan, the 19 th reign.

Now let’s go inside and have a look at the image, which has recently been renovated.

Say whether the following statements are true or false.

1.) Phra Mongkhon Bophit is one of the

biggest images in Thailand.

2.) This image is enshrined in the vihan of

Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

3.) The image hall of Phra Mongkhon Bophit was built under the sponsorship of the Burmese government.

4.) Originally the image was covered with

gold 3-4 inches thick.

5.) Both the image and the vihan were repaired in the reign of King Rama V.

6.) The exact date of the image could not be obtained.

7.) From the art style it is likely to belong

to the Early Sukhothai period.

8.) According to a chronicle, the image

should have been built by King Song

Tham.

9.) King Song Tham was the son of King

Ekatosarot.

10.) King Ekatosarot was the

younger brother of Kinmg

Naresuan.

Paveena Kaewla-ied No. 10Kamonwan Jabjai No. 13