Wat Phra Phai Luang

Located close to the northern gate and outer triple earthen ramparts of Sukhothai, Wat Phra Phai Luang is considered a group of ancient monuments of great significance because its buildings, constructed in different phases, have left impressive evidence of the evolution of Sukhothai art and architecture. This group of ancient monuments was built in the middle of an area enclosed with a moat of 600 meters long for each side. The oldest ancient monuments in this temple are three buildings constructed in prasat style and facing east as customary. Today only the northernmost tower survives intact. Of the central and southern towers, only a base of laterite blocks still stand, and these are bare of stucco. All three garbhargha contain pedestals for lingas. The surviving northernmost sanctuary tower is a fine example of its period - laterite with extensive stucco moulding in the Bayon style (13th century). Noteworthy are the door surrounds ending in Makara spewing forth nagas. The temple was probably Mahayana Buddhist dating to the reign of Jayavarman VII (1180-1219 CE). A statue of the Buddha sheltered by naga was found here.

These stucco reliefs help to confirm the supposition that around the 13th century CE, communities in Sukhothai had cultural contact with the Khmers in the reign of Jayavarman VII and were also associated with Lavo (Lop Buri), a Khmer town of considerable importance in the central plain. Later during the Sukhothai period the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, and the architecture reflects the change. Thanks to continued restoration and addition to the stucco, this tower has the most complete appearance of all Khmer sanctuaries built in this manner (more typically, at the nearby San Ta Pha Daeng, or at Muang Singh in Kanchanaburi, the bare effect of plain laterite is not at all the way that the temples were conceived). East of these prasats, a vihara and a chedi in pyramid shape are located with every sloping side decorated with super-imposed receding porches, similar to those of Ku Kut chedi in Lamphun, for enshrining Buddha images.

Moreover, Buddha images in Wat Tra Kuan style enshrined in closed porches were found underneath those in Sukhothai style. Such a discovery points to the fact that new chedis were rebuilt in different periods to replace the old ones. Located at the eastern extremity of this temple, a mandapa was built to enshrine Buddha images in four postures, namely sitting, reclining, standing and walking. This mandapa likely belong to the Late Sukhothai period.

References:

1. Guide to Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet Historical Parks – Fine Arts Department (1999).

2. Thai-Cambodian Culture: Relationship through arts - Charuwan Phungtian (2000) - Magadh University, Bodhgaya.

Ayutthaya Historical Research