City of Viceroy
Si Satchanalai Historical Park is divided into 3 sites; in a historic city walls, outside the city walls and the sources of Sangkhalok ware.
UNESCO: Entrance to Si Satchanalai Historical Park |
City
The city is a green flat area along the Yom River, plenty of
large trees providing shade. It is the habitat of large amount of Egret. The
charm of the historical park is impressive.
Architecture and art are Sukhothai style. The beauty and sophistication that reflects the ideas and creative skills are not inferior to the Sukhothai.
Main Chedi, Wat Chang Lom |
Wat Chang
Lom
Scholars
assumed that this temple was built to honor King Ramkhamhaeng the Great.
The
temple not only the most famous and most appeared in photographs and video
clips. It is a place that attracts me to come here. Reason is the large decorative elephant sculptures at the base of the
Lanka style chedi. They are distinctive by
sizing as much as real elephants stand apart from the main base for almost the
entire bodies.
Live Size Elephant Sculptures |
It seems
the main chedi here is a little smaller than the ones
at Wat Chang Rop, Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park. However, it is in much better
condition. Help me filling more imagination to other elephant sculpture chedis
that created in Sukhothai and associated historic towns.
Wat Chedi
Chet Thaew
This
temple title means temple with a great number of chedi. It is such the museum of all type of chedi during Sukhothai period.
An Array of Chedi, Wat Chedi Chet Taew |
The main lotus-bud chedi, which is the original art of
Sukhothai not appeared to be built in any era, located behind the viharn. And
the viharn surrounded by various styles of over 30 chedis.
Imagination Tool for Chedi Styles |
Currently, it is difficult to understand the characteristic of
the chedis at the temple clearly. At first,
straight to the display podium, reconstructed illustration is a great tool to
watch the chedis here.
Prince
Damrong Rajanupab, the father of Thai history, believes this place was storing
the bone ash of the royal family, Phra Ruang dynasty of Sukhothai.
Wat Nang
Phaya
The famous
is the exterior of viharn decorated with finest pattern stucco. It was created
as the early Ayutthaya art. The delicate patterns inspired the Si Satchanalai
goldsmiths to produce gold jewelry that widely known today.
There is
not much stucco remained on the wall. The patterns are flowers, leaves and Thai
graphic.
Main Chedi, Wat Nang Phaya |
Thai Stucco Pattern |
Wat Khao
Phanom Ploeng
For me the
idea of walking up the 144 steps for worship is
worth the effort. I had to be careful the slippery laterite steps amid the
drizzle and gray sky. The flock of egret and their unpleasant smell were a bit
annoying. The trees around the temple are their habitat.
144 Steps to Wat Khao Phanom Ploeng |
Viharn, Wat Khao Phanom Ploeng |
The temple
itself is conventional; consists of viharn, main chedi and the shrine. I was the
only visitor on the temple above the hill.
Faith of the ancient people is amazing for creativity and patience. Their works have invited us to more consider the meaning of life and next life.