Ayutthaya is such an amazing place that in every interesting attraction that we visit, we realize what a wise decision we have made when we decided to book the Ayutthaya tour. We strongly felt as if we have been touring Ayutthaya for weeks when we were there only for a day trip.

It was starting to get late. Time truly flies very fast when you are absorbed in what you are doing. We left Bangkok at 8:00 in the morning and did not notice that it was already past 5:00 pm. We almost did not make it to Wat Pra Si Sanphet as we reached the place at 4:30 (when it was scheduled to close in half an hour). Good thing we were able to squeeze in what we can in just thirty minutes. We enjoyed exploring the temple grounds and marveled at the proud looking chedis. We also did not miss the chance to go up the chedis and see how far our legs will allow us to go.

As it was already 5:00 pm, we knew that we should start heading back to Bangkok soon or else we might get caught in the terrible traffic jam. But our taxi driver, Phan, told us that there was one more stop left in our itinerary and that we should not miss it. So we left Wat Phra Si Sanphet and headed to Wat Lokayasutharam.

Phan did not want to disclose too much information when we asked him what we could expect in our last destination. He said that it was a surprise and an exciting one which we would truly enjoy. In a few minutes, we entered the grounds of Wat Lokayasutharam and held our breaths. Phan was right. We were truly surprised. Phan said that the main attraction of the Wat Lokayasutharam is the huge lying Buddha image. When we saw the Buddha, our mouths were hanging open as it was really big!

Wat Lokayasutharam can be found at Pratoochai District of Ayutthaya. It is specifically located at the back of the Ancient Palace as well as the Pratoochai Elementary School built within the area of Wat Worapoh and Wat Worachettharam.

Millions of tourists head to Wat Lokayasutharam to visit the giant reclining Buddha image. This Buddha image is fondly called by locals as Phra Bhuddhasaiyart. The Buddha measures a total of thirty seven meters long and a total of eight meters high. This Buddha is said to be built facing the East. In terms of materials, it was made of a combination of cement and bricks following the style and touch of the Middle Ayutthaya Period.

What caught my attention about this Buddha image was that the head of the Buddha was placed on a lotus. The legs of Phra Bhuddhasaiyart overlap in a very firm and strict manner that the toes are already of equal length. There is nothing much to see aside from the Buddha given that the grounds are made of mostly ruins. These ruins include the twenty four cathedral posts, a total of three cathedrals, several stupas, a pagoda, bell tower and even the entire hall of a Buddhist temple.

The Thais are known for the utmost preservation of their culture. It is no surprise to know then that this giant reclining Buddha image was restored through the financial help of the Alcoholic Beverage Factory as well as donations from the Department of Fine Arts back in 1954 A.D. The Thais did not stop here. In 1989 A. D., further restorative work was done on the reclining Buddha which was initiated by Lady Rabiab Dhamrongnahwahsawat together with her family.

There were quite a number of locals and tourists who were there at the Wat Lokayasutharam during our visit. Some of them were offering incense oils while some had with them lovely Lotus flowers. There were also vendors nearby who were selling Lotus flowers to whoever would like to offer to the giant Buddha image. Some locals were silent and were obviously saying their own heartfelt prayers.

After a few minutes of exploring the temple grounds, we decided to wrap up with our souvenir photos and pack all our stuff in our rented taxi. It was already 5:30 pm and we had to leave right away to make it in time for dinner in Bangkok. Thailand is known for its incredible traffic jams so we prepared ourselves with the long drive back to our hotel. Those who would like to stay longer in Ayutthaya can book rooms in any of the city’s reputable hotels like the Ayothaya Hotel Ayutthaya.

Our trip to Ayutthaya was enjoyable and very educational. We bid the city farewell but will surely cherish our Ayutthaya adventure forever.

Posted in Attractions, Thailand

This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 11:45 pm and is filed under Attractions, Thailand. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.