Wat Si Sawai

 temple, historic ruins

Wat Si Sawai or Wat Sri Sawai (TH) วัดศรีสวาย

Wat Si Sawai, วัดศรีสวาย, is situated in the heart of the old city to the south of Wat Mahathat. Its three prangs (imitating Hindu Shikhara Vimanas) are regarded as ancient monuments of considerable significance. Demarcated by a wall, the three prangs were built in Lop Buri style. Their slender forms on low bases are decorated with stucco, with some designs similar to those on Chinese wares of the Yuan dynasty. A carved lintel depicting the god Vishnu reclining on a Naga seat, fragments of Hindu images and Linga all indicate that this temple was originally a Hindu sanctuary. It was later transformed into a Buddhist temple with some expansion of the front part in the form of an assembly hall (wihan or vihara).
King Rama VI visited this temple when he was the crown prince. He found the image of Sayumpu (Siva) in the wihan. Hence it is indicated that Wat Si Sawai was indeed an ancient Hindu site before being converted to a Buddhist temple.
Information from an historical marker at the temple.