Wat Nong Phikun

Wat Nong Phikun is a major temple in Nakhon Chum ancient town built at the beginning of the 14th century CE, featuring remains of a Ceylonese influenced square brick building without a roof. The remaining walls are decorated with stucco relief. Facing east, this temple with a rectangular plan was built outside the town wall in the Aranyik (forest) area. It was enclosed on four sides with a moat as a line of demarcation following the Lanka Wangsa Buddhist tradition.

The monument plan is different from other temples in the same area. Its significant building was a square mandapa functioning as the main stupa of the temple and situated behind a vihara. Standing on a base of 1.50 metres high, the mandapa with a solid wall on three sides and a front entrance was built to enshrine a vast Buddha image occupying the total space inside. The top of the building was made of bricks with mortar. This mandapa shares some similarities with those of Wat Si Chum, Wat Tuk and Wat Traphang Thonglang in Sukhothai.

Ayutthaya Historical Research