Wat Si Chum วัดศรีชุม , Sukhothai

Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai (23 December, 2003)


Wat Si Chum (GPS: 17.02689, 99.69314; Thai: วัดศรีชุม ) is the ruins of a Thai Buddhist temple on the northern part of Sukhothai Historical Park, in Sukhothai, Thailand. It is one of the more popular ruins there, because of its gigantic seated Buddha statue, which is surrounded by a square enclosure or mandapa, which all but encases it, safe for a vertical strip on the front size. That strip, with tapers as a letter "A" at the top, offers a glimpse of the seated Buddha statue from the outside.

It is believed that the mandapa used to have tiered roof that is now long gone, so the Buddha is today exposed to the elements. The statue is finished in stucco, and is placed in such a way that it seems to be peered out at visitors through the narrow slit.

The name Wat Si Chum means Temple of the Bodhi Tree. Its gigantic Buddha statue has a name too, Phra Acana, which translates roughly as "One Who Isn't Easily Perturbed". It was mentioned (on Face 3) in Inscription Number One from 1292, aka the Ramkhamhaeng Pillar. The statue is 15.64 meters in height and 11.5 meters from one end of its knee to the other. The surrounding walls of the mandapa is 15 meters tall, meaning the pointed top of the Buddha actually protrudes above the wall.

Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai (23 December, 2003)


Taking a self portrait with the giant Buddha of Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai (23 December, 2003)


With the Buddha's giant hand behind me, at Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai (23 December, 2003)

Wat Si Chum on Google Street View

Wat Si Chum (Dec 2014)

Wat Si Chum is on the map of Sukhothai

List of Wats in Sukhothai and Wats in Thailand

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