Wat Paramaiyikawat

About

Wat Paramaiyikawat Warawihan rests on the riverine island of Ko Kret in Nonthaburi Province, where the Chao Phraya River meets the channels of Lat Kret and Om Kret. Classified as a second-rank royal temple, the wat is believed to have been founded in the late Ayutthaya period and was once known as Wat Pak Ao — 'estuary temple'.

When the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya in 1764 the temple was abandoned. A decade later, Mon communities who immigrated under King Taksin restored the precinct, calling it in their own tongue 'Pia Moo Kia Terng' — 'temple at the cape'.

In 1874, King Chulalongkorn presided over the Thot Kathin ceremony at four Mon temples in Nonthaburi. Finding this wat in poor condition, he ordered a careful restoration that preserved its Mon architectural character, dedicating the merit of the work to his grandmother Princess Sudarattanarachaprayur, who had raised him in childhood. He renamed it Wat Paramaiyikawat — 'temple of grandmother'.

Within the ordination hall, mural paintings in applied Thai style decorate the inner walls. At the island's outer corner stands the Phra Chedi Mutao, a white pagoda in Mon style modelled on the Shwemawdaw of Bago in Myanmar. Riverbank erosion has caused the pagoda to lean gracefully — a serene landmark visible from passing boats and the enduring symbol of Ko Kret.

History

Wat Paramaiyikawat is believed to have been established in the late Ayutthaya period and was abandoned after the Burmese invasion of 1764. The Mon community that settled Ko Kret under King Taksin restored it in 1774.

The pivotal renewal came in 1874 under King Chulalongkorn, who ordered a thorough restoration in honour of his grandmother and renamed the wat Wat Paramaiyikawat. Both the temple and the Mutao chedi were registered as national ancient monuments by the Fine Arts Department in 1935.