Wat Phra Men, an important temple site at Nakhon Pathom in the central
plains of Thailand from around the 7th to 8th centuries CE, is re-examined
for the diverse conclusions that can be drawn from iconographical study
of its Buddha images. Four or five colossal images, seated in the so-called
“European fashion”, are reputed to have originated here although they
are today displayed in different temples and museums. The history of
the discoveries and restorations at the site is reviewed. While the precise
nature and original appearance of the monument remain a mystery,
the iconographical significance of the images lies in different possible
interpretations according to the Buddhist traditions that were practiced
here. The nature of Buddhism in the Dvāravatī period was evidently very
heterogeneous; esoteric forms of Mahāyāna Buddhism may have evolved
at Wat Phra Men in Theravāda guise. The results of this re-examination
should hold implications for other Buddhist sites in Nakhon Pathom and
neighboring provinces.