Pra Mongkhonbophit is an image of Buddha made of brick covered
with bronze and gilt. Its whole body is black as it was covered with black
lacquer. It is assumed that it was built in the reign of Somdej Phra
Chairacha in 1538 as a symbol Buddha image of Chichiang Temple and
was enshrined outdoor. Later on, King Song-Tham had the Buddha image
moved to the south-west of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet and kept it in the
pavilion, the Mondopa. In the reign of Phra Chao Sua, the Mondopa was
burnt down by a fire due to a thunderbolt, causing the lotus bud and the
right arm of the Buddha image to break down. Phra Chao Sua then had
the broken parts of the image restored. During the fall of Ayutthaya in
1767, the Wihara Mongkhon Bophit was badly burnt and the right arm
and the hair knot of the Buddha image were broken. In the reign of
King Rama V, Phraya Boranrachathanin who was the governor of
Ayutthaya during that time restored the image with stucco and gilt. In
1992, the Wihara Mongkhon Bophit was built to cover the image. This
image,in the attitude of subduing mara, is one of the biggest Buddha
images in Thailand.