Wat Chang Lom
“Temple surrounded by elephants”
The Wat Chang Lom is a large Buddhist temple in the central zone of Si Satchanalai Historical Park. Its name translates to “temple surrounded by elephants”. The temple located close to the center of the old walled town near the Yom river was founded in the 14th century during the Sukhothai period.
The Wat Chang Lom comprises of a large Singhalese style principal bell shaped chedi, two viharns and a subsidiary chedi. The square temple area is surrounded by a laterite wall with an entrance gate on the East side.
A number of archeologists believe the Wat Chang Lom is the temple mentioned in Stone inscription No 1. The inscription mentions that King Ramkhamhaeng dug up Buddha relics in Si Satchanalai. After paying homage to them the King reburied the relics and had a chedi built over them in 1285.
Singhalese style chedi surrounded by elephants
The Wat Chang Lom’s most important structure is its large, well preserved “elephant encircled chedi”, a circular bell shaped chedi in Singhalese style. Enclosed by its own wall, the chedi stands on a high, two tiered base.
Standing around the first tier are 39 large elephant sculptures, eight on the East side, nine on the other sides and one larger elephant at each of the four corners. From a distance it looks like the elephants carry the structure on their backs. Once covered with plaster adorned with elaborate carved decorations, most of them are in a state of disrepair. In front of the elephants are buds of lotus flowers.
In Buddhism elephants are considered a symbol of mental strength, auspicious animals that protect Buddhism often seen guarding temples.
A flight of stairs on the East side leads to the circumambulation platform surrounded by balusters where Buddhist devotees would circle the chedi in a clockwise direction. Around the second tier are 20 arched niches that each contained an image of the Buddha in the Bhumisparsha mudra, some of which have gone.
On top of the second tier stands the bell. Around its base are petals of lotus flowers, carved in stucco. A little higher up are reliefs of walking disciples of the Buddha. The bell shaped chedi is topped with a tapering finial.
Many “elephant encircled chedis” were built during the Sukhothai period. Other examples can be found at the Wat Sorasak and the Wat Chang Lom in Sukhothai Historical Park, and the Wat Phra Kaew in Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park.
Other structures
In front of the chedi stands the temple’s principal viharn or assembly hall. Merely the base and a number of pillars that supported the roof remain. Other structures on the grounds include the remains of a smaller viharn and a subsidiary chedi.
- Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat
- Wat Chedi Chet Thaeo
- Wat Nang Phaya
- Wat Khao Phanom Phloeng
- Wat Chom Chuen
- Wat Chao Chan