Thailand_ Ayuthaya - August 2011
Ayutthaya City is the capital of Ayutthaya
province in Thailand. Located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River, the city
was founded in 1350 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox
outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often
referred to as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam. Ayutthaya became the second
Siamese capital after Sukhothai. Its remains, characterized by the
prang (reliquary towers) and gigantic monasteries, give an idea of its past splendor.
It is estimated that Ayutthaya by the year 1600 CE had a population of about
300,000, with the population perhaps reaching 1,000,000 around 1700 CE, making
it one of the world's largest cities at that time. In 1767, the city was destroyed
by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The Ayutthaya
historical park is the ruins of the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam. It
is the site of sacked and destruction of the Ayutthaya city, its art and
buildings by the Burmese in 1767, which is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was refounded a few kilometers
to the east. The city is sometimes called "Venice of the East".
Courtesy
: Wikipedia
Rangarajan Ramaswamy Bangalore 15.08.2013
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