Wat Chetuphon

The Wat Chetuphon is the largest temple in the South zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park. It is located about two kilometers South of Namo gate in the South city wall.

The temple consists of a large viharn, a main mandapa, a smaller mandapa and a number of small chedis. The Wat Chetuphon does not have a principal chedi which is usually the most important building of a temple because it enshrines relics of the Buddha, a King or important monk. Instead the main mandapa enshrining four images of the Buddha was the temple’s most important shrine.

Mandapa enshrining four large Buddha images

The most impressive structure of the Wat Chetuphon is a mandapa enshrining four huge brick and stuccoed images of the Buddha in different postures.

The walking, standing, sitting and reclining images each face a different direction. The standing Buddha West and the walking Buddha East facing the large viharn are still in a fairly good condition, although the head is missing on both. Nothing remains of the sitting and reclining images on the North and South ends of the mandapa.

The roof that sheltered the images inside the mandapa has collapsed.

A unique feature of the Wat Chetuphon is the wall surrounding the mandapa. It is made of large slabs of slate which gives the wall an appearance of wood. Today parts of it are still standing.

Smaller mandapa and viharn

Next to the principal mandapa is a large courtyard. In the center stands another mandapa with 20 indented corners. On each of its four sides is a large niche where an image of the Buddha was enshrined.

To the East was a large viharn surrounded by several chedis. The high base and a number of large pillars that once supported the roof remain today. Holes in the pillars show the location where the wooden roof beams were fitted.

Stone inscription

It is not known when the temple was founded. A stone inscription found at the Wat Chetuphon does not mention its founding date. It does mention that in 1514 a Buddha image was constructed to be enshrined in the temple.

The Wat Chetuphon is believed to have been an important temple in the late Sukhothai period. The temple is mentioned in the stone inscription discovered at the Wat Sorasak, which describes an event that took place in the middle of the 15^th century when monks of several temples including those of the Wat Chetuphon discussed the founding of another temple in Sukhothai.

• Wat Mahathat
• Wat Si Sawai
• Wat Sa Si
• Wat Sorasak
• Wat Tra Phang Ngoen
• Wat Si Chum
• Wat Phra Phai Luang
• Wat Saphan Hin

• Central zone
• North zone
• East zone
• South zone
• West zone

• Temples
• History Sukhothai
• Sukhothai style Buddha images

• Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park
• Si Satchanalai Historical Park