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Wat Sorasak

The herd of male elephant of Sukhothai city.
If you use the word "Small is beautiful" to describe the worth of this temple, it is not wrong. Wat Sorasak is so small. So, tourists often overlook it. If you visit and study history, then you will find here is the marvelous temple. The main Pagoda of the temple is bell-shaped, surrounded by 24 elephants. Every elephant has only half the front. It is assumed that the sculptor is trying to convey that the elephant is carrying the Pagoda on its back. Besides, it is a symbol of the worship of Buddhism. This may relate to the ancient Indian and Sri Lankan motto believing that the world was on the back of an elephant. On the others hand, the academic's art history assumed that the Pagoda surrounding by half elephants, which was found at Ruwanveli Stupa in Sri Lanka called "Huttiprakarn." There is the king who built them as a memorial to the elephants that were a vehicle of his mighty battle. Thus, the Chang Lom Pagoda may also show the relationship of arts and beliefs between Sukhothai and Sri Lanka.

The place near Wat Sorasak, there is the large Traphang named Traphang Sor. At the corner of the traphang which on the side that closest to the temple is the place where the inscriptions were discovered. There is summary storytelling of Mr. Intharasornsak which requested the royal land size 44x39 wa which is this house was located from Oyaa Passilico who govern the Sukhothai kingdom for constructing the temple in 1960 BE. Moreover, it is the place where Phra Maha Thera Thammatriloke stays in the Buddhist temple during the rainy season. After that, many royal families came to worship the sacred things at this temple by staying at the Old Hua Sanam Palace on the west side of the temple. It indicated several traditions at the time, such as the belief that the King owned all the land in the kingdom. Even you are the landowner, you have to request the Royal for getting the land to build the temple. They believed that the temple constructing on that day is this temple calling it "Wat Sorasak."



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