Wat Chang Lom

THAILAND, Sukhothai

Wat Chang Lom means Temple Encircled by Elephants. Its stupa is an excellent early example of the Singhalese bell-shaped stupa in Thailand. Located within the Sri Satchanalai Historical Park, the temple was built in 1290 during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng (reigned 1279–1298). As part of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns, it was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1991.
The only extant structure is the main stupa. Apart from that, only the foundations of the main hall and the ruins of smaller hall and stupas can be seen. The main stupa was built in the shape of a bell to house the relics of the Buddha. A laterite wall surrounds the stupa, forming an area of 50 sq m in total. The two-layer square base is built in brick and has an area of approximately 31 sq m. The lower layer is encircled by 39 statues of elephants, separated by laterite columns. The upper layer contains a series of niches housing Buddha statues, most of which are damaged. There is a stairway at the front leading to the entrance of the stupa. The bell-shaped body of the stupa is separated from the spire by a square harmika, and between the harmika and stacked rings of the spire there is a frieze of walking Buddhas, which is a unique feature of Sukhothai art.