Nepali Times introduces history of Thailand through Buddhist architecture in an eight-part series.
The Architecture of the Dvaravati Style (6th-11th centuries AD) has influence of India.
Thailand’s geopolitical environment has made it the cultural centre of Southeast Asia from the 6th century to the present day.
This period broadly classified into eight distinguished artistic styles. The styles of art during the early period such as Dvaravati, Srivijaya and Lop Buri were influenced by the neighbouring countries before the Thai political domination.
The latter five styles such as Chiang Saen(Lanna), Sukhothai, U Thong, Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin (Bangkok) were more discrete and finally developed their own remarkable characters after Thais settled in present day domain.
The architectural works from the Dvaravati period were inspired by Buddhism together with influence from the Mon culture. Dvaravati, ancient kingdom of Southeast Asia that flourished from the 6th to the late 11th century.
It was the first Mon kingdom established in what is now Thailand and played an important role as a propagator of Indian culture. Situated in the lower Chao Phraya River valley, Dvaravati extended westward to the Tenasserim Yoma (Burma) and southward to the Isthmus of Kra (Malay peninsula).
Dvaravati was historically important as a transmitter of Indian Hindu culture. Having had early commercial and cultural contact with India, the Mon assumed the role of disseminators of the main features of Indian culture.
They were the most receptive of Southeast Asian peoples to Indian art and literature. Indian influence was apparent in matters of sculpture, writing, law, and governmental forms.
A marked example of Dvaravati art is Chedi Chula Prathon. The ruins of Chedi Chula Prathon lie at the heart of ancient Nakhon Pathom and date to approximately 7th century AD.
This large structure, now collapsed with only its base remaining, was constructed of bricks and bonded with unbaked clay. Studies on their characteristics of Chedi Chula Prathon have revealed that the original plan of the stupa must have been square with a staircase on all four side leading to the promenade-platform or circumambulatory path.
The area to the left and right of each staircase was decorated with stucco and terracotta bas-reliefs illustrating scenes from the Jataka tales that was popular embellishing of the Dvaravati architecture.
In general, the forms of Dvaravati stupas which were mostly discovered are the once with a square or octagonal platform and base. Remains of structures have been found in the central Thailand.
Chedi Mahaphon (pictured, top), a remarkable stupa with a square base and built in a series of five superimposed diminishing squares decorated with standing Buddha images in niches has been found at Wat Kukut in Lamphun, northern Thailand.
Around the Chedi, height of 21m, are levels of arches holding a total 60 Buddha statues and it is a very unusual square ‘stepped pyramid’ shape pagoda. Chedi Mahaphon, similar to Buddhagaya in India can be dated to the late Dvaravati period and it is the oldest surviving example of this type.
The Chedi was built by King Athitayarat of Haripunchai Kingdom to commemorate his victory over the Khmer halfway the 12th century. The current structure is from 1218, when it was rebuilt by King Saphsit after an earthquake damaged the original.
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