Sukhothai Old City - Wat Sra Si

The Wat Sra Si on a small island must have been quite magnificent; it has ten chedis influenced by the Ceylon-style. Six rows of columns and the beautiful statue of a seated Buddha in the pose of the Bhumispara-mudra remain from the large wiharn. The bot of the Wat Sra Si stands on an island in a pond covered with lotus flowers. The buildings of the wat on the bank, inhabited by monks, originate from a more recent period. The old laterite chedi in Singhalese style is decaying badly. In the mondhop is a stone footprint of Buddha, which was brought here from the Wat Phra Bat Yai; it is thought to have been discovered - according to an inscription - by King Liu Thai in 1359. In honor of this holy place the Loy Kratong festival (light festival) is celebrated here in November; the lake is transformed by thousands of tiny floating candles into a fascinating sea of light.