Wat Doi Suthep
Wat Doi Suthep is 900 metres high up on the sacred mountain top of Doi Suthep with views overlooking Chiang Mai.The founding of this wat is based on a Buddhist legend. In 1371 an elephant carrying a holy relic from the Wat Suan Dok proceeded to climb Doi Suthep. After three days it stopped on a flat piece of the mountain and died. This was considered an auspicious place to house the relic, so a seven metre high chedi was constructed to house the relic.Access to the temple was a long steep walk up the mountain, then another 200 steps up the staircase lined with naga. However in 1935 a mountain road was built by volunteers under the supervision of Khru Ba Srivichai, the most revered Lan Na monk of the 20th century.
On the lower terrace of the chedi, a statue stands in honour of the founding elephant. Another statue of the hermit Wasuthep stands draped in a tiger skin, in a niche. He was living on the mountain when the wat was founded and gave his name to it.
The inner sanctuary houses the magnificent gold plated chedi, which was augmented to its present size of 16 metres high by 12 metres diameter between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. It is surrounded by red and gold railings enclosing a walkway for devotees to perform the ritual of circumambulation.
The corridors of the marbled courtyard contain Buddha images and murals of the life of Buddha. On either side of the chedi, east and west, are two viharns. Devotees receive blessings in the western viharn and use the shrines on the south and north side for prayer and to make merit.
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Located on the sacred mountain top overlooking Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai
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