Wat Maha That, Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai

Wat Maha That, Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai Wat Maha That is the most important and largest in the old city. It was built in the reign of King Si Inthrathit, the 1st reign of Sukhothai and was added to by later kings from time to time. It measures approximately 200 meters on each side and is encircled by a ditch. It was the royal temple within the palace, in the same way as Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya and Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. The temple compound is filled with an assortment of construction. Close investigation yielded 200 stupa ruins, 10 vihan foundations, 8 porches for holding Buddha images, and one bot foundation. The principal monument is a large lotus-bud summit stupa surrounded by four smaller axial stupas in Srivijaya-Singhalese style and four prangs in the Khmer style. The whole group is mounted on a square laterite base fashioned in three receding tiers; the middle tier is alcove on the four sides to hold Buddha images and the bottom tier supports figure of Buddha’s disciples walking in a clockwise direction with two hands joined together called taksinawat. East of the principal stupa lies a large vihan that used to contain Phra Sri Sakayamuni, a large seated Buddha image was built in the reign of King Li Thai. North and south of the principal stupa stands a mondop holding a brick and stucco Buddha image known as Phra Attharot. In front of Phra Attharot on the south side, a small piece of stone juts out from the ground in front of the image. This is called the Khmer coming out from the earth. The bot lies north of the principal stupa with fragments of the marker stone slabs. Nern Prasat lies a sort of raised ground on which is found at the southeast corner a rectangular brick foundation 1.50 meter high. This was probably the site of a royal hall, a royal palace, or a place for royal ceremonies in the same way as the Sanam Luang is used in Bangkok. It was on this rise the Phra Thaen Manang Silabat and the inscription stone of King Ram Khamhaeng were found in 1833 A.D. Phra Thaen Manang Silabat is a large slab of polished stone 1.20 meter in width, 1.60 meter in length and 3 centimeters in thick. King Ram Khamhaeng had this seat placed at some public place to be the royal seat from which the king conducted affairs of state on ordinary days and the preaching seat for some learned monks to preach to the people on Buddhist holy days. The seat is now kept in the museum at the temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Inscription stone is a square block polished stone 45 centimeters in width and 1.11 meter tall, inscribed on all four sides with Thai characters of the Sukhothai period. Reading of the inscription stone was first done by King Rama IV and was amended in later time by Professor George Coedes. This inscription stone and others of later discoveries may be seen in the Bangkok National Museum.