Picture of Wat Phra Wahathat with Buddha statue and yellow cloth around shoulder (Ayutthaya, Thailand)

Buddha statue with yellow cloth around its left shoulder

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In the wealth of temples and ruins of Ayutthaya, Wat Mahathat is among the oldest. As we found out, it has much more to offer than the famous Buddha head in the roots of a tree.
Outside the entrance of the temple, a small parking lot was almost full with tuk-tuks, taxis, and tour buses, and we feared a crowded visit to Wat Phra Mahathat. Fortunately, we would find out we were mistaken. The temple actually turned out to be a vast complex of temple platforms. When Ayutthaya was raided by the Burmese in the 18th century, Wat Mahathat was badly damaged and set on fire. The results can still be seen today - rows upon rows of headless Buddha statues give the impression a devastating iconoclasm just took place. Somehow, the ruins of what once must have been a majestic temple complex breathes a peaceful atmosphere. While the origins of the temple are not known with certainty, it is thought that the remains of what we see now were constructed in the 17th century. This is the place which is supposed to have held the remains of the Buddha in a prang, a Khmer style spire. While the prang collapsed a long time ago, treasures hidden inside were unearthed in the 1950s.
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