Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit วิหารพระมงคลบพิตร, Ayutthaya, Thailand

Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit, Ayutthaya (30 December, 2002)

Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit (GPS: 14.35482, 100.55772; วิหารพระมงคลบพิตร

, also written Viharn Phra Mongkhol Bophit) is a major Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Located next to the Royal Palace Ground of Ayutthaya, it is believed to have been builted during the reign of King Chairachathirat, around 1538. The huge Buddha statue, Phra Mongkhon Bophit, was previously sitting outdoors at Wat Chichiang, but was moved indoors here by King Song Tham. However, the roof collapsed after it was struck by lightning, during the reign of King Sua.

When the Burmese destroyed Ayutthaya, both the viharn and the Phra Mongkhon Bophit were seriously damaged by fire. The huge Buddha statue was left exposed to the elements for close to two centuries until the reign of King Rama VI, in 1920, when a restoration work was carried out. A large number of Buddha images was found here, and were taken to the nearby Chao Sam Phraya National Museum for safekeeping.

In 1957, the Fine Arts Department undertook a major restoration work, and a new viharn was built, according to the design of the original, to house the Buddha statue. In 1990, the provincial administration of Ayutthaya obtained permission from the Fine Arts Department to cover the statue with gold leave, to commemorate the 60th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.