Phra That Sikhottaboun, an ancient and famous monastery architect in the south of Laos, it is located on the Mekong Riverside at Ban Meuangkao, Thakhek District, Khammouane Province. It is approximately six kilometer to the south of Thakhek on the slope of mountain 1. 50 meter high. Legendary, this stupa was built in the 12th Buddhist century by King Soumintharat or King Soumitathammavongsa of Kingdom of Sikhottabong. When King Souriyavongsa Sitthidej of Kingdom of Sikhottabong passed away, Saket City (it is now in Roi Et Province, Thailand) was subject to periodic invasion by Thavaravady Army of the Burma. People immigrated to the Palace of King Soumintharat, and the King and the army joined forces to battle the invaders of Thavaravady out of Saket. At that time, there were many important venerable monks did pilgrimage to propagate Buddhism in the Kingdom of Sikhottabong. They gave advice to King Soumintharat to build the caves around the place where Buddha stood and received morning alms from King Sikhottabong in the Kingdom of Sikhot, therefore, King Soumintharat allowed to build the caves and brought the chest bone of the Buddha to contain in these caves. In the 13th Buddhist century, Kingdom of Sikhottabong was battled by Khmer and they destroyed the Kingdom. Phra That Sikhottaboun was characteristic during the reign of King Phothisarat of the Kingdom of Lane Xang when he came from Vientiane to maintain this stupa in B.E. 2082 (C.E. 1539), but he did not enlarge any caves. He also maintained Phra That Phanom and Phra That Inghang. During the reign of King Sayasetthathirat, this stupa was maintained and built new stupa to cover the cave to enlarge the stupa that it is big in the present day. A shape and an architecture of Phra That Sikhottaboun was built by lime plaster on the top of the stupa and it is larger that Phra That Inghang, but it is smaller and shorter than Phra That Phanom, it was designed in Lane Xang architecture, but it is more characteristic than other stupas. Each side of the floor is 25 meter wide, and it is 1.30 meter high. Each side of the lower the first floor is 14.33 meter wide. The stupa is 28.89 high. The top of the stupa was decorated by seven-steps of roof ornaments of the pagoda and it was made by silver and gold, and it is 2 meter high. There were five small stupas around the big one that were contained the bone of the five perfect ones, they were three small stupas on the west of Phra That Sikhottaboun and two on the east, and they were shabby. Phra That Sikhottaboun was great maintained in B.E. 2506 (C.E. 1963, Look at photograph Nr. B1561) and was put roof ornaments of a pagoda on 7th February, 1963 (Look at photograph Nr. B1568). There are glass wall, castles, pond, dinning hall and balconies around the stupa. Phra That Sikhottaboun festival is held on the 15th day of full moon of the 3rd month of Lao calendar every year. This festival has been started since B.E. 2506 (C.E. 1963). This photograph was taken at the time of Sathou Nyai Khamchan Virachitta Mahatehra, Abbot of Vat Saen Sukharam, Luang Prabang built the main hall or Sim of Vat Sikhottaboun in 1966. (Look at photograph Nr. B2052).–.
Original material consists of: silver gelatine DOP print.
