The footprint of the Buddha

Keywords : Ramkhamhaeng National Museum, footprint Buddha

Site common name	Ramkhamhaeng National Museum
Type of artwork	Sculpture
Sub district	Mueang Kao
District	Mueang Sukhothai
Province	Sukhothai
Region	Central
Country	Thailand
Geographic Coordinates Decimal degree	Lat : 17.018304 Long : 99.707273
Geographic Coordinates UTM	Zone : 47 Q Hemisphere : N E : 575278.74 N : 1881715.86
Place of artwork	It is exhibited in the exhibition room of the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum.

History of production	There is no evidence in writing regarding the contraction.
Production process	Stone sculpture
Conservation	It was discovered at Wat Kao Phra Batnoi outside the old Sukhothai town to the west.
Art	The footprint is engraved on a rectangular stone. Some parts of the stone are damaged. There are actually four overlapped footprints detected by the lines on the sides and heel. The footprint that was used for pattern studying is the smallest one as other three have only the lines on the sides and heel. The toe fingers on the smallest footprint are not equal in length. Each finger has a whorl motif decorated. In the middle of the sole, there is Chakra symbol which are decorated with the 108 propitious motifs. Two points on the area connected to the toe fingers are decorated with whorl motifs , while the heel is decorated with lotus petal motif.
Key academic information	This is a model of four ovelapped Buddha footprints referring to the footprints of four Buddha which are Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama.
Notice	The four footprints are overlapped because it is believed that there are several Buddhas to become enlightened in different period of time. Samana Gautama is the Buddha in this current time, therefore the Buddhas that had already become enlightened are known as the former Buddhas and the ones who will become enlightened are known as the future Buddhas. It is believed that each Buddha has a lot of common Buddha's daily routines such as travelling to the Tavatimsa Heaven to preach his mother. It is believed that the spot where Samana Gautama was stepping had previously been stepped by other three former Buddhas, hence the total is four. The biggest footprint is from Kakusandha, then Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama is the smallest. Each Buddha is believed to have different body size as well; Konagamana is the biggest, then Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama is the smallest.
Period	Historical Period
Art period	Sukhothai
Age	20th Buddhist century
Religion	Buddhism
Religion and belief	Buddhism

Type of License	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
Rights	Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation	2015-09-30
Record creator	Rungroj Thamrungraeng
Bibliography	Nantana Chutiwong. The Buddha Footprints in South Asian and Southeast Asian Art. Bangkok : Muang Boran, 2533. The National Museum, Division. Phutthabatlakshana and the Buddha Footprints in Thailand. Bangkok : The National Museum Division, 2536. Santi Leksukhum. Sukhothai Art. 3^rd edition, Bangkok : Muang Boran, 2555.