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Wat Saphan Hin

The Bridge to Heaven.
The number of historical sites in Aranyik or temple outside the ancient city wall at Sukhothai city on the west, Wat Saphan Hin is the most dominant and famous. There is the slate path that is going up to the peak of the hill about 300 meters; moreover, this is the origin of the name. When arriving at the halfway point, there is the small lotus-bud Pagoda, the front of the Pagoda has the base of the building constructing from stacking slates orderly. At the top of the mountain, there is the Viharn which enshrined a standing Buddha image that raises the right hand and turns this palm out. The left hand stretched down beside his body. They assumed that it is Phra Attharos who was mentioned in the inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great. "Amid that forest-monastery is a temple-building that is large, lofty, and exceeding fair. It has an eighteen-cubit image standing erect." Besides, they believed that this is the temple where King Ramkhamhaeng rode on the royal elephant to worship the sacred as the old stone inscription conveying "On the days of new and of the full moon, he had the white elephant named Ruchasi arrayed with trappings and housings all of gold and ivory . . . . . . right . . . , . . and Prince Khun Ram Khamhaeng mounted and rode forth to worship the Buddha [in the forest-monastery, and came again." On the north side of Khao Saphan Hin, there is a natural path that circles up the mountain peak. They believed that it is the walkway for elephants which may be the route when riding on the elephant into the top of the mountain.

The unique beauty of this temple has made tourists come to visit. In 2501 BE, His Late Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of the Ninth Reigna also came to visit this temple when they visited Sukhothai for the first time.


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