Thailand 2023, part 25 (Sukhothai)
The ancient Siamese kingdom of Sukhothai (1238-1351), mostly located in the lower part of the northern region of present-day Thailand, left its mark not only in the remains of the capital visible today within the Sukhothai Historical Park, but also in a few other historical cities – Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet. The former is about 60 km to the north and the latter is approximately 135 km southwest of the modern town of Sukhothai. These three locations are collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, I didn’t have the time to explore all three, dedicating a full day only to the remnants of the ancient capital. Even that one day wasn’t enough, since the Sukhothai Historical Park, covering a vast area, houses numerous remains of various temples and structures built by the local rulers in the 13th and 14th centuries.
It is through these beautiful monuments, parts of which have survived to the present day, that one can witness the origins of the Siamese architecture. The kingdom of Sukhothai embraced various influences from its immediate and extended surroundings, as well as elements of ancient local traditions, to amalgamate them into what is now known as the “Sukhothai style.”
Furthermore, these three major cities were connected by a significant road, and by using the same language and script, they shared an identical administrative and legal systems, as well as the social and political organisation. The rulers of the Kingdom of Sukhothai also had skilled and innovative “engineers,” transforming the land within their kingdom by constructing artificial lakes, dams and canals. In this way, they controlled flooding, while simultaneously providing water for various needs – from the use for daily needs and agricultural production, via waterways for communication, to moats protecting the cities. Due to all these achievements, Sukhothai has been remembered in the Siamese history as the Golden Age, while its name roughly translates to the “Rising/Dawn of Happiness.” Its most famous king, Ramkhamhaeng (reigned 1279-1298), who ruled during the kingdom’s zenith, is considered the founder of the Thai nation.
What is most striking today, visible through the remains of the monuments, is that they shared the same religion, Buddhism, leading to the construction of a large number of temples and monasteries.
After visiting the largest and most significant temple of the ancient capital, Wat Mahathat, I also paid attention to a structure located directly across the entrance to the temple complex. I initially overlooked it, enchanted by the remains of the temple visible from the street.
This structure is Noen Prasat, now resembling a platform, but it was originally the foundation of a rectangular building (27.5 x 51.50 m). It is believed to be the remnants of a grand royal palace in the capital of Sukhothai.
Even now, I didn’t delve much into this, instead, I turned my attention back to Wat Mahathat and took another photo of it. Then, I hopped on my bike and continued with my sightseeing.
However, I didn’t get far because while riding along the southern side of the Wat Mahathat temple complex, I wanted to capture the temple from that angle. This was particularly interesting in order to see the remains of the ancient moat that used to surround it.
And then, I got back on the bike and headed towards the Wat Si Siwai temple, which is about 700 meters away when cycling along the wide paths.
The Wat Si Siwai temple is easily recognisable with its three prangs. It was built in the late 12th or early 13th century and was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva by the Khmers. Later, when converted into a Buddhist sanctuary, it was expanded by adding two viharas, one with pillars and another directly in front of the prangs, the walls of which have survived in quite good condition.
When I approached the central prang, which is 15 meters high, I simply had to enter the room at its base, but I did not notice anything significant there.
What makes this temple interesting, besides these three prangs, is the rich ornamentation done in the stucco technique. First, I paid attention to the front side of the central prang and then I circled around the prangs, occasionally capturing interesting details of the decoration.
By the way, the temple is situated within a space with a square-like plan similar to a park, surrounded by a brick wall. Here, you can also see a part of the former moat, which is now almost completely filled with soil.
In the Sukhothai Historical Park and the surrounding area, there are 184 water bodies dating back to the Sukhothai Kingdom era. On the way to the next temple I wanted to see, I passed by some beautiful canals and reached a rectangular-shaped artificial lake.
Here, I first continued straight on the path seen in the middle of the previous photo, while I concentrated more on the lake later on.
On the right-hand side of the path, I passed by a smaller chedi belonging to the temple called Wat Traphang Ngoen. In front of the chedi, you can see a walking Buddha image done in the Sukhothai style.
Next comes the vihara, which, like the rest of the temple, was built in the 14th century. Inside, there is a seated Buddha image and there are also surviving columns that once supported the roof structure.
Behind the vihara is the main chedi with a finial on the top in the form of a lotus bud. On all four sides of the chedi, there are niches containing statues of standing or walking Buddha figures.
I continued walking along the path, having parked my bicycle earlier, in order to look at different parts of the temple from the other side. Here, I also reached another body of water.
By the way, the Wat Traphang Ngoen temple is erected on the shore of the reservoir of the same name, as Traphang Ngoen means “Silver Lake.”
I found it interesting that the ubosot of this temple, more precisely, its modest remains, are located on a small island in the middle of this lake. A path along the lake leads to it, followed by a small bridge, but I contented myself with observing everything from a distance.
On the eastern side of the reservoir, i.e., opposite the Trapang Ngoen temple, parts of the Wat Mahathat temple are also visible. I have already talked about it in the previous instalment of the travelogue. Now, I observed it in the mist that was a result of the very high humidity in the air.
After taking pictures of the reservoir, I went back to the bicycle that I had parked in the shade. From there, I took another picture of the small island with the remains of the ubosot of the Wat Traphang Ngoen temple before heading to the next temple, Wat Sa Si.
There I also noticed a Javan pond-heron (Ardeola speciosa).
Nevertheless, at one point, I had to stop again because I was truly captivated by the beauty of the area through which I was passing. It’s a pity that the bike was in poor condition, and the temperature and humidity were high, but I still enjoyed it because the beauty of the landscape inspired and filled me with excitement.
Not far from here, the path leads through a narrow dirt strip between a couple of artificial ponds. To reach the Wat Sa Si temple, I parked my bike in the shade of a palm tree. I had to cross a wooden bridge on foot in order to get to a small island in the middle of a larger reservoir where the temple is situated. The island is located a few hundred metres northwest of the Mahathat temple, within the central zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park. However, to reach the reservoir and the temple, one has to walk a bit around.
To start with, I walked to the end of the path in order to have a better view of the reservoir in which the temple is situated. From there, I could also see the wooden bridge used to cross over to the island.
Now I was ready to cross the small bridge and visit the temple.
The temple dates back to the late 14th century and you first come across a smaller chedi with large niches on all four sides of the compass. Back in the day, these niches used to house Buddha statues.
What is characteristic of this temple is the large chedi in the shape of a round bell. This type of round stupa is typical of the Sinhalese Buddhism and this chedi, which is the Thai term for a stupa, clearly reflects the influence of this form of Buddhism. By the way, the Sinhalese are a people who originate from northern India, but migrated gradually to Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute 75% of the population of this Asian country.
Near these two stupas, there is a very beautiful statue of a walking Buddha done in the Sukhothai style. By the way, this particular pose is known as the Vitarka mudra. It is recognised by one of the Buddha’s hands being raised, the vertically positioned palm facing the observer, the tips of the index finger and thumb touching, while the remaining three fingers stand upright one next to the other. This gesture represents teaching, explanation, discussion, the transmission of knowledge and insights, etc.
In front of the main chedi, there is a vihara with numerous columns that have survived to the present day, while at the base, there is a statue of a seated Buddha.
Directly across from the vihara, there is a small bridge leading to another, smaller island in the middle of the reservoir. On this island there are the remains of the ubosot of the Wat Sa Si temple. The positioning of ubosots like this reflects a Buddhist principle related to demarcating the space where monks perform spiritual activities by surrounding the sacred area with water, symbolising purity.
In addition to the water surrounding the island and the ubosot, this structure is also surrounded by sema stones, further emphasising the spiritual aspect of the site.
Having returned to the larger islet, I took another photo of the walking Buddha, with some distant chedis for which I couldn’t find any information, as they evidently are not considered significant enough.
Here, I paused in the shade of a tree to figure out my next route and I heard two beautiful great mynas (Acridotheres grandis) perched in the branches.
Not far from here, on the other side, north of the Traphang Trakuan reservoir where Wat Sa Si is located, the main road passes. I knew I would have to ride on it later, but for now, I took a photo of one of the many trucks passing by, loaded with bales of hay.
As for me, I got back on my bike and continued to the nearby temple called Wat Chana Songkhram.
The main bell-shaped chedi is very impressive. In front of it is a vihara with surviving columns and there are also smaller chedis with distinctive roofs shaped like tiered towers called vimanas.
Now I headed north, planning later to transition from the Central Zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park to the Northern Zone. Along the way, I passed by another interesting site. It was a beautifully landscaped area with a pool and an elevated platform holding a monument to the highly respected King Ramkhamhaeng, considered the founder of the Thai nation. In addition, it was precisely this king who devised the Thai alphabet. The monument was erected in 1969.
I had a problem here enduring the scorching sun as I felt like my brain might boil. So, I quickly took another shot of the Traphang Trakuan reservoir with the Wat Sa Si temple and swiftly rode my bicycle away.
Even though my first stop wasn’t far from here, just a few hundred metres, there was some shade from trees, allowing me to take a break from the heat. Admittedly, I had to cross the main road leading east-west, but right after the road, you come across a shrine called San Ta Pha Daeng. This shrine, built in the Khmer style and believed to have been originally Hindu, dates back to the 12th century, making it the oldest monument at the site.
About 400 meters northeast from here, still within the Central Zone or inside the city walls of the ancient capital Sukhothai, there are two more temples that I certainly passed on my way to the Northern Zone. I only viewed one of them from a distance as it is in quite a ruined state. However, I approached the second one and looked at it from up close.
The first temple, Wat Son Khao, is in a considerably deteriorated condition, but you can still see the remains of the main chedi, vihara, mondop and two smaller chedis.
The second temple, Wat Sorasak, however, is exceptionally interesting and worth the visit.
The main chedi and the vihara are still there, but... This chedi is erected on a square base adorned with 24 elephants!
The temple was built in 1412, the time when Sukhothai was no longer the capital of the kingdom, since it was from 1347 to 1438 shifted to Song Khwae, present-day Phitsanulok. Despite losing its capital status, the city of Sukhothai continued to develop after the kingdom became a tributary state to kingdom of Ayutthaya.
Wat Sorasak is not the only temple where elephant figures were used for decoration, but it underwent restoration in the 1980s. Both the elephants and the chedi are made of bricks and the finishing involved the use of the stucco technique. Today, only the elephants have been restored to their original appearance.
And now, I finally rode towards the northern exit from the Central Zone, where the modern road leads to several exceptionally interesting temples and other structures belonging to the Northern Zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park.