Ayutthaya Thailand: Ajarn Nak's extraordinary murals from the Thai Ayutthaya era at the Wat Rakhung temple will receive special treatment. The murals in the Tripitaka chamber at Wat Rakhung on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok have long been praised as some of the finest examples of traditional Thai art in Thailand. They are unique in their subtle combination of styles of the late Ayutthaya and early Bangkok eras.

The murals, drawn some 200 years ago, have always remained behind closed doors in the Tripitaka building of the Rakhung Temple for so long that very few Thais know of their existence and had the chance to see and appreciate these sublime examples of Thailand's past cultural wealth.

However, thanks to the efforts of artists from the Silpakorn University, the priceless murals will be given a new lease on life with reproductions being made that will be shown in an exhibition at the National Gallery in month of July 2004.

For Surasak Charoenwong, a lecturer of Thai art at Silpakorn University the murals from Master Nak are priceless. "Even though they are fading and peeling, you can clearly see that the murals focus on scenes from the Indian epic Ramayana", says Surasak, who recently gave members of the press a guided tour of the Tripitaka chamber at Wat Rakhung.

The murals were created by Ajarn Nak, a master artist who lived during the late Ayutthaya era. Before his death, he moved to Bangkok during the reign of King Rama I.

According to available historical records, the master was ordained as a Buddhist monk at Wat Thongphleng on Bangkok Noi canal before moving to be a resident monk at Wat Suwannaram further down the same klong.

Surasak believes that Ajarn Nak's skills were recognized by Rama I, because his subtle murals adorned many temples in Bangkok, including Wat Arun, Wat Suwannaram and Wat Ratburana. But his most famous work is at Wat Rakhung in the Tripitaka building (Library), where the historical Buddhist canons are kept.

It was during the artist's monkshood at Wat Suwannaram that he began the murals at Wat Rakhung, which also served as the residence of "Chao Phi Mahakasatsuek" before he became King Rama I of Bangkok.

The Tripitaka was constructed during the Ayutthaya era. It was considered an important temple because the first Patriarch of Thai Theravada Buddhism of Bangkok resided there. While the walls are decorated with Ajarn Nak's art, the door panels are believed to be adorned with paintings by King Rama II himself.

Master Nak's art lends an air of solemnity to the building and it's here that the late master artist, Fua Hariphitahak, began studying traditional Thai art.

Surasak explains that the murals were painted in tempera made from natural pigments. "The process to extract more color from natural products was challenging, and involved plenty of grinding. The paint was then mixed with tree resin. That's why the art is so durable". It was also the period when Thai artists began importing natural colors from China and India.

Ajarn Nak's murals adorn three sections on the walls of the building. The eastern section features the Ramayana's prominent "Gumbhakan Battle", the western wall shows scenes from the "Battle of Intharajit", while the southern wall features general Thai motifs in vogue during that time. Meanwhile, the eastern wall features the "Giant Monkey Sugriva" uprooting a tree with tremendous strength, with one leg on the ground and the other on a mountain. The section also features the struggle between Sugriva and the demon Gumbhakan.

"Studying the murals, you can easily sense that the war is reaching its climax," notes Surasak. "These murals need to be conserved and shown to everyone. Reproductions will certainly help to immortalize them."

Without the recent endeavors by Silpakorn artists, Surasak is convinced the murals would have remained a mystery to the new generation of Thais whose knowledge of their own artistic heritage is often very limited.

Wat Rakhung is located near the Temple of Dawn and can be reached by ferry from Tha Chan Pier near the Grand Palace. An exhibition featuring reproductions of Ajarn Nak's mural art is scheduled to begin in July at the National Gallery on Chao Fah Road in Bangkok, not far from the National Museum.