Wat Avasa Yai

This temple of considerable size in the Aranyik area of Kamphaeng Phet was two kilometres from the Saphan Khom gate. At present times there is Highway No. 101 (Kamphaeng Phet - Sukhothai) passing in front of this temple. Most of its buildings were mainly made of laterite with a small amount of brick. In front of the temple, a rectangular pond is dug into a bed of laterite and known as Sam Saen pond. There are no traces of a temple wall. Only a laterite wall enclosing the Buddhavasa precinct was found.

At the front of the temple, there are two platforms with indented corners. On each platform, eight bases of subordinate chedis were found. Those subordinate chedis were built in the same style (bell shape) but differently. Next to the two platforms are remains of a vihara situated in the middle of the Buddhavasa precinct on a large base used for a ritual walk in a clockwise direction. The base was laterite, rectangular, with stairways on three sides, excluding its back part. Like the base for a ritual walk of the vihara in Wat Phra Si Iriyabot, rows of balusters were made of laterite on two sides of the vihara and porches were built at its front and back. From evidence found in situ, the wall of this nine-roomed vihara was high with openings in the wall in the form of a row of balusters to let in the air. Behind the vihara, the principal chedi of vast size was constructed adjacent to the vihara base. Remains of this main chedi are superimposed bases in octagonal shape; the lower one was unadorned, while the upper one was built in a lotus shape with indented corners (five edges for each corner). Next to these octagonal bases is a square base in a lotus shape with indented corners (five edges for each corner). This square base was raised so high that it looked like a wall and decorated with a ring-like moulding of double tiers. The uppermost part of this principal chedi has crumbled and fallen into ruins, making it impossible to determine the shape of the said chedi.

The base of the principal chedi in Wat Avasa Yai is similar to the one belonging to the main chedi of Wat Chedi Sung situated outside the town wall of Sukhothai towards the north. The main chedi of the latter temple was built in a circular or bell shape with an elevated base of great height. Therefore, it is possible that the principal chedi of Wat Avasa Yai was constructed in the same style. To the west, north and south of the Buddhavasa precinct, there are building bases in different sizes, presumable to be a building group comprising 31 monk houses and structures called sala, two wells and two toilets. This beautifully-planned temple is supposed to be a monastery where senior monks of the Aranyawasi sect in Kamphaeng Phet resided because of a large number of buildings both large and small in the monastic precinct of this temple. In 1907 CE King Rama IV visited this temple and mentioned god and demon figures exquisitely carved on the gate. Regrettably, these beautiful sculptures were completely broken without any traces. [Source: Guide to Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet Historical Parks (2542 BE)]  

Ayutthaya Historical Research