Sukhothai - Thailand

As i said in the previous post, Emerich sent me 5 cards from Thailand. He has very beautiful cards from there to offer and it was difficult to chose the cards but i decided to get these 5. These 2 in the post are from Sukhothai, an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438. The Historic Town of Sukhothai is a World Heritage Site since 1991.

Photo by Jatuporn Rutnin

Wat Mahathat is the spiritual focus of the city and the king. (The grassy area across the street is the site of the royal palace.) Founded by the first king, the royal temple was given its large central chedi by King Lö Thai in 1345. It was regularly expanded by successive rulers before being abandoned in the 16th century. Picturesquely surrounded by a lotus pond, Wat Mahathat now consists of ten viharns, one bot, eight mondops, one large chedi and 200 small chedis.

The central chedi was built in 1345 to house two relics of the Buddha brought from Sri Lanka by the monk Sisatta. The chedi's lotus-bud shape became the hallmark of Sukhothai architecture, imitated throughout the kingdom. Surrounded by eight smaller spires, it stands on a square platform decorated with stucco reliefs of 111 monks in prayer. The remaining chedis each contain the ashes of a nobleman. The most impressive among the other structures are the ruined viharns, with pillars leading the eye to serene Buddhas seated at the back. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/old-sukhothai

With lotus in hands, a monk pays respect to Phra Atchana Buddha Image in Wat Sri Chum. This enormous Buddha image is the largest in Sukhothai. Made of brick and stucco, the seated Buddha measures more than 36 ft (11m) wide and almost 49 ft (15m) high. Draped over one leg is the Buddha's giant right hand, with elegantly tapered fingers and gold nail polish.