Bot Noi and Wihan Noi
These two buildings are song rong (hall-type) structures with a rectangular plan, situated to the east of the Phra Prang. It’s believed that they were the original ubosot (ordination hall) and wihan (assembly hall) of the temple during the Ayutthaya period.
Both buildings feature song chua (gable-roofed) forms, characteristic of traditional Thai architecture with khrueang lamyong (decorative roof elements). Key architectural elements that show the influence of Ayutthaya-period art include the eaves covering the gable-end entrance areas of the buildings. Additionally, the na ban (gable fronts) are adorned with carved wooden designs, gilded and inlaid with colored glass mosaic, specifically on the uppermost part of the gable. This design makes the building’s gable appear relatively small compared to the overall wall area of the gable end.
Currently, inside the Bot Noi, the principal Buddha image is a stucco sculpture in the Pang Man Wichai (Subduing Mara) posture, lacquered and gilded. Also enshrined are a cast royal statue of King Taksin the Great and a royal couch believed to have been his resting place.
The Wihan Noi enshrines “Phra Chulamanee Chedi,” a gilded and colored-glass-inlaid metal cast representation of the Culamani Cetiya (a heavenly stupa containing sacred relics of the Buddha, according to Buddhist cosmology).
