In the article about publicly displayed maps for tourists in Ayutthaya which was published last year in this journal. the last of the six examples includes an unlabeled diagram that shows the two-dimensioinal, topographically planar layout of the grounds of Wat Chaiwatthanaram (Map 4 in the present article). Within the diagram is a square with symmetrical components that represent not only brick structures but also the universe of Buddhist teaching, and the accompanying oblique, aerial photograph of the grounds allows the viewer to connect the abstract symbolism to the structures as well as to appreciate what the diagram does not provide, the height of the structures which contrubute to an artistic rendition of the third dimension odf this cosmos. Whereas it is reasonable to assume that tourists of any nationality would be able to undertand that the grounds of the temple are displayed in the diagram, and work out which symbols depict what kind of structure, it is questionable that most touritsts would be able to connect the diagram and photograph of the compund to how the cultural landscape reflects a spiritual cosmology. This is a shortcoming of the composition as a whole since the verbal componnet contains nothing to hint at, let alone explain, what is in the landscape other than the nam of the temple, something which is true of other maps (diagrams and photographs) in the same series throughout the city. Hence, this article has been written to delve into the religious symbolism found in the Chairwatthanaram composition and two others like it (Maps 2 and 3).
