Central
Thailand / Ayutthaya / Wat Phra Mahathat
Photo: Giant Buddha head at Wat Phra Mahathat
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This Wat on
the corner of Chee Kun Road and Naresuan Road was built by King
Ramesuan (reigned twice, 1369-1370, 1388-1395) when he was
a monk in between his two tenures in 1384. The major structure
was a high Prang (Khmer-style pagoda) which was destroyed
by Burmese invaders. When the government undertook to restore
all Ayutthaya ruins in 1956, the Fine Arts Department excavated
the pagoda and found a buried treasure chest containing
many valuables. Among the objects discovered were a relic of Lord
Buddha, placed inside a golden casket, several golden Buddha images
of different sizes, and many other objects in gold, ruby and crystal.
These objects are now housed in Bangkok's National Museum.
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It doesn't only give the scientific names for the active ingredients of Eurycoma longifolia (tongkat ali) but the chemical formulas as well.
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http://www.asiatour.com/thailand/e-04cent/et-cen55.htm
Jan Garanoz
869/116 Thanon Pemavipat,
Chiang Rai, 57000 Thailand
Created: September 1, 1995
Last updated: January 27, 2010