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Chiang Mai City and Temples tour

From Wikipedia, here is the history of the two temples:

Wat Suan Dok was founded by King Kue Na of Lanna for the monk Sumana Thera in the year 1370 CE. The temple was built in the centre of Wiang Suan Dok , a walled settlement of the Lawa people older than Chiang Mai itself. The outlines of the fortifications can clearly be traced on satellite images, and remains of some of the earthen walls can still be seen north of Suthep road. King Kue Na's flower garden, which was located here, lent the temple its original name: Wat Buppharam Dok Mai , or Wat Suan Dok Mai for short.

According to legend, Maha Sumana Thera, a monk from the Sukhothai Kingdom, after having had a vision discovered a relic of the Buddha which, also according to the same vision, was to be housed in Chiang Mai. Sumana Thera stayed two rainy seasons at Wat Phra Yuen just outside Lamphun at the invitation of King Kue Na while the latter had Wat Buppharam Dok Mai built. When the moment arrived for the relic to be housed in the newly built temple, it miraculously duplicated itself. One of the relics was housed, as intended, in a shrine inside Wat Buppharam Dok Mai. The large 48 meter high bell shaped chedi - built in a Sri Lankan style - can be seen from far. The relic of the Buddha is said to be contained within. A grouping of white washed mausoleums, which house the cremation ashes of members of the royal family of Chiang Mai, is located in the northwestern quarter of the temple grounds. At the beginning of the 20th century, Princess Dara Rasmi, one of the wives of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and daughter of the Lanna king Inthawichayanon, had the ashes collected from around Chiang Mai to be interred at their present setting

The other relic was placed on the back of a white elephant which then climbed up Doi Suthep, the mountain directly west of Chiang Mai, where it trumpeted three times and died. Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep was built on that spot to house the second relic.

First, the Temple grounds of Wat Suan Dok, whose golden Stupa (Chedi) houses a relic (bone) of the Buddha.

While we were there, a class of elementary students was graduating and their ceremony was in the main area of the temple. We were permitted to wall all thru the temple and take photos. This place was packed with all sorts of statuary and I got a few wonderful scenes.

See larger version of the view of the golden Stupa which houses the bone relic of the Buddha, seen thru a window in the main temple. Click here

Another view thru the window. For larger view, click here

Young monks doing their monks-in-training at school. Every young boy is encouraged to spend a minimum of 90 days as a monk-in-training. Our tour guide kept postponing this. His mother kept begging him to do his time. When he had graduated from college, adn was married, he finally enrolled. He then did his 90 days of learning all the rules and regulations of Buddhism. Perhaps this is why the people of Thailand seem so loving and kind - their religion is a huge part of their daily life, and by and large they live the precepts of their religion.


View of golden stupa in which is buried a relic of the Buddha. For a larger version, click here	Base of a Banyan tree

Another view. For large image, click here. Note the serpentine "leg" along the staircase which has a series of dragonlike serpent heads at the end. They have these on virtually all staircases going up to sacred areas in all the temples. Not sure what it signifies.	Closer view of the "foot" at the base of the stairs in photo to the left.
Ceremonial bells. In the background is the graveyard of all the royal families of Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, it has large sections currently under repair	At the base of this Banyan tree, people put ceremonial poles of remembrance in honor of those who have passed.

Sometimes seeds of other plants get wedged into the deep folds of the Banyan tree. Here, some strange fruit bearing tree is growing out of the Banyan tree.

Next, on to Wat Phrathad Doi Suthep, the temple in the mountains with the second relic of the Buddha - click here