Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya: Ancient Ruins and the Buddha Head in the Tree Roots
Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya was once the spiritual heart of the old capital and is home to the world-famous Buddha head entwined in the roots of a bodhi tree.
Meeting Point Management Team
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Quick answer
Wat Mahathat is a royal temple in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, begun under King Borommaracha I (Khun Luang Pha-ngua) and completed under King Ramesuan. It once enshrined the Buddha's relics at the center of the capital. Its highlight is the sandstone Buddha head wrapped in bodhi tree roots. Entry is 10 baht for Thais and 30 baht for foreigners.
Key takeaways
- Begun under Khun Luang Pha-ngua and completed under King Ramesuan, with relics enshrined in 1384
- Once the center of the city and residence of the Supreme Patriarch of the town-dwelling monks
- Burned and abandoned after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767
- Highlights: the Buddha head in the bodhi tree roots and Ayutthaya's only octagonal chedi
- Entry: 10 baht for Thais, 30 baht for foreigners
Let's go to Ayutthaya! Today Meeting Point is taking you to Wat Mahathat in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. It's easy to get to and not far from Bangkok, a great place to soak up the atmosphere of an important ancient site. It's also a temple you shouldn't miss when you come to Ayutthaya.
First, let us introduce the history and background of the temple.
Few people haven't heard of Wat Mahathat (Wat Phra Mahathat). It's a royal temple that was started in the reign of King Borommaracha I (Khun Luang Pha-ngua), but he passed away before it was finished. Construction continued until it was completed under King Ramesuan when he returned to the throne. He ordered the main prang built and enshrined the Buddha's relics beneath its base in 1384 (B.E. 1927), at the very spot where he had once seen the relics glowing and floating up into the sky.
During the Ayutthaya period, Wat Mahathat was the center of the city and the venue for many royal ceremonies of Ayutthaya. The Supreme Patriarch of the town-dwelling (Khamavasi) monks resided in this temple, while the Supreme Patriarch of the forest-dwelling (Aranyavasi) monks resided at Wat Pa Kaeo (Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon), up to the second fall of Ayutthaya.
Wat Mahathat is one of the temples in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park. It was extremely important in the Ayutthaya era because it enshrined the Buddha's relics at the heart of the capital and was the residence of the Supreme Patriarch of the town-dwelling monks. The temple was therefore built up and cared for continuously until it was destroyed in 1767 (B.E. 2310), when it was badly damaged by fire. It has been abandoned ever since, after the second fall of Ayutthaya.
Highlights inside Wat Mahathat
Points of interest include the royal vihara at the front of the temple. Under the base of the main altar inside the vihara, five small earthenware vessels were discovered containing embossed gold sheets with images of the Buddha and various animals. The main prang, which enshrined the Buddha's relics, stands on a raised square base surrounded by a cloister on all four sides. It is an early Ayutthaya prang influenced by Khmer art.
The ordination hall of Wat Mahathat is behind the main prang. Parts of its brick walls remain, and inside you can see octagonal pillars, with the base of the altar at the back. The octagonal chedi sits on a square base with twenty indented corners. Its upper part is an octagonal chedi rising in 4 tiers, with niches on all 8 sides and walls decorated with stucco figures of deities. It is the only octagonal chedi found in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
What makes Wat Mahathat stand out is the Buddha head, more than a hundred years old, held in tree roots. It's a sandstone Buddha image of which only the head remains; the body is gone. In Ayutthaya style, the head sits in the roots of a bodhi tree beside the vihara. It is thought that the head fell to the base of the tree around the fall of the city, and the roots gradually grew over it, creating an unusual and beautiful sight that feels almost miraculous. This is what made the temple famous and well known among Thais and foreigners alike.
If you love history, travel and making merit, Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya ticks all the boxes. It's known as an ancient site with a long history that matters greatly to the people of Ayutthaya, with beautiful ruins that draw a steady stream of visitors. So if you're thinking of where to go, we highly recommend it. You can explore Ayutthaya on foot, or rent a bicycle and cycle around for a different kind of fun. It's worth visiting at least once in your life.
Entrance fee: Thais 10 baht, foreigners 30 baht
Map: Wat Mahathat on Google Maps
FAQ
What is Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya famous for?
It's famous for the Ayutthaya-style sandstone Buddha head wrapped in the roots of a bodhi tree beside the vihara, as well as its main prang and the only octagonal chedi found in Ayutthaya.
How much is the entrance fee to Wat Mahathat?
10 baht for Thais and 30 baht for foreigners.
When was Wat Mahathat built?
It was begun under King Borommaracha I and completed under King Ramesuan, who enshrined the Buddha's relics beneath the main prang in 1384.
How should I get around Ayutthaya's temples?
You can walk between the sites or rent a bicycle and cycle around the historical park.
The Meeting Point management team loves eating, travelling, temple visits and lifestyle. We pick the restaurants, cafes, stays, attractions and temples we have visited ourselves and write about them honestly.
