The Round - shaped 108 Auspicious Buddha’s Footprint in Sukhothai and Ayutthaya Arts: A Study of Its’ Original and Developmental Styles

Abstract

During the twentieth century, the artist created the round - shaped auspicious symbols on the Buddha’s footprints, known as Buddhapada, under the influence of Sukhothai Art. These symbols represents Buddhist beliefs about auspiciousness, called Mankala - 108, which are counted as auspicious signs. Assuming that the creation of these symbols was meant for the need to display the auspicious symbols or Mangala 108. These symbols depict the circle universe and the Buddhist principle of Lokasart, the mythology of the earth’s existence, origins, being, and extinction. The creation of Mangala 108 enhances the footprint’s sacredness. Based on  Sukhothai’s idea of the great Emperor, artists in the past highlighted the Cakka, or wheel of the Dhama, on the Lord Buddha’s footprint, which is encircled by 7 - 8 rings of auspicious symbols. Later, the Ayutthaya artisans were inspired by those of a century prior. In the twenty-first century, artists in the Ayutthaya period also drew on Sukhothai’s style. Not only did they build the Buddha’s footprint that exhibited the Cakka wheel and Mankala 108, but they also   develop it by reducing the auspicious symbol to 3 rings. Hence, they highlighted the Cakka wheel or replaced it with a Lotus flower in the center of the footprint, making all the symbols appear larger.