Wat Sa Si (Center of old city center)
Wat Sa Si known for situating on small islands, its round bell-shaped chedi and walking Buddha statue
Wat Sa Si situated in the middle of the large reservoir known as Traphang Trakuan which lies a few hundred meters Northwest of Wat Mahathat.This beautiful ancient temple consist the main round bell-shaped chedi, assembly hall (vihan) and ordination hall (ubosot) which stand in a linear east-west arrangement. The ubosot is detached, occupying on another small island east of the main island linked via a bridge.
The round stupa serves as historical evidence of the prevalence of Sinhalese Buddhism in Sukhothai. This circular stupa is sometime known as a chedi in the Sri Lankan bell-shaped style. The ordination hall in the middle of the reservoir points to a Buddhist concept of demarcating an area where monks perform religious functions by enclosing the holy precincts with water as a symbol of purity.
Besides having the original seated bhumisparsa Buddha in the vihan, Wat Sa Si also houses a well-modeled walking Buddha statue. This walking Buddha carries the trademark of the Sukhothai sculptural style as it stands in front of the small stupa. A Buddha’s distinctive features will includes
- bloated body with rounded limbs (‘sacred breath’)
- broad shoulders with long arms and fingers
- rope end passes over left shoulder extending to the naval
Prior to 1978 A.D., a road name Charot Withi Thong ran through the temple. Fully conscious of the damage and environment problems, the Fine Arts Department demolished it and build a new one alongside the reservoir.
