paren nyawi's blog: Thailand

Wat Phrathat at Doi Suthep Mountain in Chiangmai

This is during my trip to Chiang Mai ..The journey using Thai Airways is takes 1 hours 30 minutes from Bangkok.

KAREN LONG NECKS VILLAGE-3 HOURS FROM CHIANGMAI

When we were reaching Chiang Mai ..we had directly visited Wat Phrathat( Buddhist Templde) as our 1st destination in Chiang Mai..& reached there by bus( 15 km)..(like a trip from KL to Genting Highland)

In Fact,It is a Sacred site for many Thai people & have it very own legend..
The legend.
The original founding of the temple remains a legend and there are a few varied versions..
Here is one of the legend version..White elephant Legend..
According to legend, a monk named Sumanathera from Sukhothai had a dream; in this dream god told him to go to Pang Cha and look for a relic. Sumanathera ventured to Pang Cha and is said to have found a bone, which many claim was Buddha's shoulder bone. The relic displayed magical powers; it glowed, it was able to vanish, it could move itself and replicate itself. Sumanathera took the relic to King Dharmmaraja who ruled the Sukhothai.
The eager Dharmmaraja made offerings and hosted a ceremony when Sumanathera arrived. However the relic displayed no abnormal characteristics, and the king, doubtful of the relic's authenticity, told Sumanathera to keep it.
However, King Nu Naone of the Lanna Kingdom heard of the relic and offered the monk to take it to him instead. In 1368 with Dharmmaraja's permission, Sumanathera took the relic to what is now Lamphun, in northern Thailand. The relic apparently split in two, one piece was the same size, the other was smaller than the original. The smaller piece of the relic was enshrined at a temple in Suandok. The other piece was placed by the King on the back of a white elephant which was released in the jungle. The elephant is said to have climbed up Doi Suthep, at the time called Doi Aoy Chang (Sugar Elephant Mountain), trumpeted three times before dying at the site. It was interpreted as a sign and King Nu Naone ordered the construction of a temple at the site.

From the car park, at the temple base visitors can climbing 309 steps for free to reach the pagodas or there is a tram. Entry to the temple on the tram costs 30 Thai baht for foreigners (or 50 baht if you would like a two-way tram ticket included) and is free for Thai nationals.
But that time our tour guide never inform us beforehand that we have an another alternative by climb 309 steps ,instead all of us have to pay 30 bhat (one way ticket) for tram costs.*huhu**when we were arrived there..

Once inside the temple grounds; visitors must take off their shoes. Visitors must be appropriately dressed.

The original copper plated chedi is the most holy area of the temple grounds.

Within the site are pagodas, statues, bells and shrines. Aspects of the Wat draw from both Buddhism and Hinduism. There is a model of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of the Hindu God Ganesh.