No trip to Chiang Mai would be complete without visiting Wat Phra Thart
Doi Suthep; the spectacular Buddhist temple that can be seen, from
wherever you happen to be in the city, clinging to the mountainside
near the summit of Doi Suthep. The temple was built in the late 14th century and
attracts many pilgrims and tourists, both local and international,
throughout the year.
The temple lies roughly 15 kilometres from the city, and can be
reached by road. From the car park across the road from the temple
there are two ways of approaching this holy shrine: on foot, if you are
fit enough to climb the 306 steps up an almost vertical Naga (serpent)
staircase, or by the small cable car (20 + 20 Baht). Most people choose
the latter.
Once there, the climb, or the wait for the cable
car is rewarded by the grandeur of this magnificent Lanna-style wat.
The main deck comprises several pavilions with red-tiled roofs. There
were a tower of large bell and Sal ("Sala" in Thai) tree to the right
(The tree could be reformed as an anspicious tree that provided Lord
Buddha as a unborn baby who was about to be delivered by his mother).
Move on the clockwise walk : A junior bell tower, a Shrine of Thao
Mahaprom (Brahma) Statue, a Shrine of Hermit Statue of Sudeva whose
name for Doi Suthep as well as Suthep road, a Bodhi tree ("Po" in Thai)
was brought from India, Buddha spent many years for self-taught
under that tree. A white elephant statue, the symbol of the elephant
who carried the Buddha's relic to the hilltop, gards the pagoda and
welcome the visitors. Turning back and step through an archway from the
main deck, one enters cool closters surrounding a stunning, golden
painted pagoda, or chedi; one of the most sacred in all Thailand.
As visitors walk through the rectangular shaped terrace around the main
chapel and pagoda, they will see no fewer than 47 wall paintings.These
murals illustrate the lives of Buddha and the Jataka(Shadok) tales of
Buddha's past lives before he reached the state of Nirvana.
At the east side, there is a wooden Wiharn. Keep walking north, here there are many small bells. It is believed that good
luck will come to the visitor who strikes the series of bells to be
found here. A white balustrade surrounds the main deck, providing
excellent views of the surrounding countryside.
Legend has it that the site of the temple was chosen in a most
unusual way. King Geu Na ordered that a relic of the holy Buddha was
strapped to the back of a sacred white elephant, and the beast was
turned loose. After crashing its way up the densely forested
mountainside, the elephant stopped just short of the summit of Doi
Suthep, trumpeted its last breath and fell dead to the ground. The king ordered that a golden pagoda be built where the elephant lay,
and the Buddha relic to be housed therein. The wat was then constructed
around the golden chedi.
Here is the online video of my wife and I with friends visiting Wat Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai Thailand.
Take a tour of North Thailand's famous temples with All Thailand Experiences
Created by"Welcome to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai Magazine" and All Thailand Experiences
