Cultural Sukhothai In Thailand

Sukhothai is to modern Thailand what Rome is to Italy, or Athens to Greece, starting point, golden age, departed glory. It was the first independent Thai state. It gave its name to one of Thailands most fertile styles of Buddhist art, credited with introducing the walking Buddha to the world.

Its has turned up in places as far flung as the Philippines. Its ruins constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site, placing it on par with the Acropolis and Angkor Wat. If we had no Sukhothai, Ayudhya, and Bangkok, said the present King of Thailand, Thailand itself would be devoid of meaning.

The old city of Sukhothai is partially enclosed by walls forming a rectangle measuring 2 km by 1.6 km. In the centre of the rectangle is the main temple, Wat Phra That.

As with many of Sukhothais temples, Phra That is remarkable not so much for its architecture, which is pocked and crumbling, but for the numerous and gigantic Buddha statues some up to 9 meters tall that sit, stand, or walk amidst the ruins.

It is almost as if the creators had intended to contrast the eternal and superlative nature of the Buddha with the ephemerality and baseness of the material world.

Si Satchanalai Traditional Gold is not only the ordinary style of goldencraft commonly being sold and purchased, but is the golden ornaments being renewable hand making by local hand weaving.

Sukhothai used to export enormous numbers of its pottery products in old time. The sustaining production is still ready to serve the tourists who want both to purchase and to have snapshots on the kilns.

Loi Krathong Festival Thailands loveliest festival is celebrated on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually mid November. It is particularly picturesque amid the ruins of Sukhothais Historical Park.

The festival is believed to have originated in Sukhothai some 700 years ago. When one of the kings concubines fashioned a lantern from carved fruit, bearing a lighted candle and sent it floating away during one of the kings nightly river cruises.

Under the full moon, people float small banana leaf boats bearing a flower, lighted incense, a lighted candle and a small coin to honour the water spirits and to float away the previous years sins.

Come anytime of year if your looking for something different and dont forget to enjoy yourself, as this is a culture that has to be seen to be believed.