award Winner of PANPA Award for Excellence

 

 
Wat Srabua

Petchaburi [Petchaburi on the map]



[A view of the temple]


[Elaborately decorated eaves] One very important ancient settlement contemporary with ancient Khmer, Dvaravati, Srivijai and Suwanapum is Srivijai Buri, or Petchaburi as it is called today. Petchaburi flourished greatly in the reign of King Boromakos, the last king of the Ayutthaya period. Because of his long peaceful reign, it was a golden age for arts, architecture, literature, religion and foreign relations.


Cherishing the Buddhist religion, the King was keen to support craftsmanship which could be used to restore the many temples within the capital and in the hinterlands. Petchaburi, with more than two hundred temples, was one such area which benefited greatly from this project. Indeed, if it were not for the King’s restoration efforts, many of the period’s works of art would certainly have been lost forever.


[Stupa] [Decoartive stucco artwork]


Following His Majesty’s example, the people of Petchaburi themselves donated both time and money to help with the restorations. This sense of responsibility and religious conviction also extended to schools which were originally built in temple compounds.


[Buildings built from donations]


At the Benchamatheputit School the library and three other buildings were all built with money, totaling 20 million baht, donated to the temple. These buildings not only reflect religious conviction but also characterise Thai architecture.
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Last modified: March 27, 2000