Sumeru Mountain in Ancient City Helg Vykort

In Thai Buddhist cosmology (based on ancient Indian traditions), Mount Sumeru is the center of the universe, a sacred axis around which all realms revolve. Ancient temple architects didn’t just build places of worship, they built physical representations of this cosmic mountain. You may have seen long, multi-headed serpent sculptures snaking up staircases in temples, these are Nagas, mythological beings believed to guard the base of Mount Sumeru. Stories of Mount Sumeru appear in Traiphum cosmology—a classic Thai Buddhist text describing the three realms of existence. These teachings are vividly illustrated in murals inside temples like Wat Pho and Wat Suwannaram, where artists painted entire universes radiating from Sumeru’s peak.