Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Around half an hour drive passing through University of Chiang Mai leads you to the main road to Doi Suthep. On your left, you pass the zoo and aquarium. Also are many waterfalls enroute as Mae Sa falls, Huay Kaew falls, Monthanthan. The signs are clearly visible. It would be worth a visit to these waterfalls if you happen to travel during the rainy season. The road is quite good and in between you get glimpses of the city below.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is commonly referred to as Wat Doi Suthep.

Few facts about this wat:

• Doi is a Thai name for mountain and Suthep is name of the mountain. Built 3, 500 feet above sea level, this Thervada temple is very much revered by the people and attracts pilgrims specially during Vesak Bochea ( Gautam Buddha's birthday) and Magh Bochea ( day of the first sermon of Buddha at Sarnath)
• Phra That: holy relic of Buddha (bone) enshrined here. Thus giving wat its name -- Phra Thai Doi Suthep
• Built by King Kuena or Gue Na of Lanna dynasty in 1386, temple has undergone renovation and expansion over a period of years.
• The 700 year old , the 14th century Lanna style temple is reached by climbing 300 steps and has the longest naga balustrade in Thailand.
• there is a small fee of 30 Baht (0.90 $) for foreigners.
• close to this wat, further ahead is Bhuming palace which is a vacation place of the King and also a guest house for foreign dignatories and state guests. I could'nt go as it was closed that day.

Legend associated with this wat:
There is a legend associated with this wat. It is said that a monk named Sumana Thera of Sri Lanka came to Sukhothai (an early kingdom in the north of Thailand). He dreamt of a relic believed to be the shoulder bone of Buddha in one of the pagoda. He found the relic. The ruler of Lanna Kingdom, King Kuena, a devout Buddhist invited him to Chiang Mai.

The monk stayed at Wat Suan Dok or Suan Dawg. It was decided to enshrine the relic at Wat Suan Dok. The bone when unpacked had split into two pieces. The smaller piece was enshrined in that wat but the larger piece was put on top of a white elephant in 1919 on Vesak Puja day letting him go free where ever he wanted.

The elephant climbed the mountain of Suthep reaching the place of wat, trumpeted thrice, fell down and died. This was considered as the a place for the wat to be built and enshrine the relic.

This is the place where all vehicles stop, make a U-turn to go back. If you are no mood to climb up 300 steps, go straight and take a cable car for a small fare of 50 baht ( around 15 cents). Thai residents do not need to pay for cable car or visiting the temple.

entrance to Wat

Foreigners pay for entry ticket on reaching the top.

Just on the right side of entrance is a golden statue of  monk Phra Thep Worasittajan who was once the abbot of this wat.

As you start walking towards the wat, you are greeted with 306 steps flanked by bejewelled naga on both sides.

close-up

entrance to wat

Keep climbing and as you near the entrance, a sign for foreigners is visible.

Dvaarpala or temple guardian on either side of entrance

lions just before entrance

Once inside, before entering the chedi, go around the place in a clockwise direction.

 Hor Rakhang or bell tower on the corner

ubosoth

Notice the wheel of Dharma behind the bell tower on both sides of entrance

bells surround outside the chedi wall

 Lord Ganesha

a terrible picture :(

Go straight ahead and you get to see a beautiful view of the city below, river Ping flowing with the backdrop of mountains. The farmers were burning their crop and this made the city full of haze all day.

a sign board outside the temple of white elephant

temple of white elephant guarded by MOM

MOM is a northern Thai mythical fierce creature which looks like a big gecko and dragon with sharp jaws. It is a guardian creature and known as "Dtuwamaum". Commonly referred to as MOM. Not to be confused with mother!

information regarding the relic

inside the temple

bronze statue of white elephant

wooden panel

Keep moving straight and under the tree named as the Bodhi tree, sits Buddha.

Buddha sits on a beautiful throne

On the other side of this tree is an image of emaciated Buddha.

people paying respect to the monk with whose efforts road to this wat was built in 1935

entrance to chedi with Ganesha on either side

Remember to take off your foot wear before entering inside towards the chedi.

images of Buddha behind which are murals depicting his life

In the center is the golden bell shaped 24 meters chedi in Lanna style which enshrines the holy relic (bone of Buddha).

Four such parasols stand on four corners of chedi which were added in the 16th century. Devotees make merit by sticking gold leaf to the shaft of these parasols.

replica of emerald Buddha ( original image is at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok)

 Buddha sits under a canopy of Muchalinda (the serpent)

reclining Buddha

devotees offering holy water to chedi replica

The golden chedi is surrounded by viharns or wiharns which are places or halls where people come to pray. There can be one viharn in a wat or may have more with images of Buddha. They provide peace and solitude to devotees wishing to meditate.

paying respects in a viharn

Taking blessings from monk

beautiful golden and silver Buddha images in one viharn

another viharna

Devotees put oil in the lamps offering to Buddha in various asanas.

Sala tree

Also known as canon ball tree, this tree is important as Lord Buddha was born under a Sala tree in Lumbini on a full moon day in the month of Vishakha. A Ashoka pillar now stands today at the place of his birth in Lumbini.

flowers and nut of Sala tree

There are plenty of shops selling souvenirs as you come down.

birds in cages, they are released to gain merits

It is a good idea to have a drink of fresh coconut water or grab a small meal. Also some souvenirs one may chose to take back home.

Points of interest:

• Notice the longest makar balustrade as you climb up the 306 steps.
• beautifully decorated dvaarpalas before entrance.
• golden parasols on four corners of chedi
• replica of emerald Buddha
• temple of white elephant
• Bodhi tree under which sit Lord Buddha
• fine architecture depicting Lanna style
• view from the rear side of temple
• temple hours: 5:30am - 7:30pm,
• small entry fee for foreigners

Wat Sri Suphan, Chiang mai, Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai, Wat Umong, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Wat Jed Yod or Ched Yod, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Mun, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Wat Suan Dok Mai

Some terminology associated with Buddhist wats in Thailand

Since I am going to write about my visit to some Chiang mai and Bangkok wats, I thought it would be a good idea to explain the terms I would be frequently be using in my upcoming posts. I am not an authority and there might be so much more to what I write but it made me understand a little about the temple layout and the terms used.

Before I start briefly explaing there are certain rules to be followed while visiting wats that are good to know. Keep in mind that wats are not tourist destinations but are holy places. You would see such signs outside wats. It is our duty to follow them.

Wat:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

 Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Wat Pho in Bangkok

This is the term used for a temple in Buddhist countries as Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Inside a wat complex:

Apart from the prayer building or hall, there are monks quarters, assembly halls, ordination hall, dining hall, library, sometimes a school. There might also be a bodhi tree or a sala tree, all associated with the life of Buddha.
Let me try to explain each term.

Viharn or Vihan or Wiharan (Assembly hall):

Viharn or Wiharn is an assembly hall. It comes from the word vihara and always faces east as this was the direction Buddha faced at the time of enlightenment. This hall has images of Buddha and is used for meditation purposes, prayers and preaching services. A wat may have more than one viharn.
One important feature of a vihan is that it has entrances on the four cardinal directions.

Ubosoth:

Ubosoth or bot is the ordination hall for the monks and is one of the most important part of the temple. This means that the new monks take vows or get indoctrined here to enter the life of a monk.
It looks very similar to a viharn but this is mainly used for ceremonies or rituals associated with monk's lives. Another differntiating feature from a vihan is that it has only one entrance.

If the ubosoth does not have a Buddha image, it may be closed for public entry.

Sign outside ubosot in Wat Sri Suphon

Some wats do not permit the entry of women into their ubosoth as you can see above.

Sema stones:

a sema stone at Wat Yaichai Mongkhon, Ayutthya

Sema or Sima taken from Sanskrit word which means a boundary. There are eight such stones around an ubosoth. This is bht boundary of ubosoth and mark the sanctity of this place. A ninth one however is put under the main Buddha image at the time of construction.

Chedi:

Chedi or stupa comes from the word Chaitya. It is a reliquary tower and represents Mount Meru, the sacred mythical mountain which in Hinduism, Buddhism and also Jainism is the center of all worlds, may it be physical or spiritual. A chedi contains a holy relic, or ashes of a king or monks or even images of Buddha enshrined inside.

The name of the wat  gets linked to the relic which is enshrined there. It is common to hear Phra or Sri precede the name of a wat.

Phra: means holy or sacred, a title befor a monk or a wat. So any place or person which is holy has Phra before the name. Examples: Wat Phra Singh

Sri or Si: Majesty as Wat Sri Suphon

Phra That: When this is added to a wat, then that place has a holy relic, ie associated with Buddha. It may be a tooth, hair, bone. Example: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Mahathat (or Mahat in Sanskri) : maha: Great. So a wat containing a great holy relic has sthis preceding its name . Example: Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit.

Prang:

Prang in Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthya

Prang is a central tower with a soft tapering top. It was influenced by Khmer architecture and you come across many wats with a prang in Ayutthya. Wat Arun in Bangkok also displays a prang.
Prang has an entrance on one side.

Hor Rakhang:

Rakhang or bell tower has a huge bell inside. The clang of this bell summons the monks to their daily activities.

Sala tree:

One of the addition to a wat is Sala tree. Also known as canon ball tree, this tree is important as Lord Buddha was born under a Sala tree in Lumbini on a full moon day in the month of Vishakha. A Ashoka pillar (circa 300 BC) stands today at the place of his birth in Lumbini.

Bodhi tree or Bo tree:

This tree is held in high esteem in Buddhism. Lord Buddha attained enlightenment or Nirvana meditating under this tree in Bodh Gaya.
The tree in a wat will have a platform on which is a seated Buddha. There may be monks also near it.

Hor trai:
This is the library in a wat complex where Buddhist scriptures are kept.

Mondop or Mandapa:

It is a square pavilion with a spired and tapering roof. It is intricately carved and contains a Buddhist script or an image of Buddha.

Chofah:

Chofah are spiral tapering structures on the roof. They signify the head of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu. They are very typical of a Thai and Cambodian wat and lend a aritistic beauty to the wat. I have made arrows to show them clearly. 

Another important feature is that the tail of chofah is said to symbolise serpent or naag. In mythological terms, Garuda amd serpent cannot stay together and are enemies of each other, but only in a wat can they exist in complete harmony with each other.

Naga or Naag:

Naga in Wat Oomong

On either side of a steps leading to chedi or entrance to a viharna are mystical beings referred to as naag.

Buddha after enlightenment, sat under a tree. It started pouring so Muchalinda, the serpent spread out its hood to form an umbrella over Gautam Buddha.

The pit at Wat Jed Yod

The pit above signifies the pond where the serpent lived.

Naag or naga at entrance to Wat Doi Suthep

Sometimes the naag has mirrors and shiny stones- the purpose is to shoo away the evil spirits who may come to disturb devotees during meditation. They would look at themselves on the shiny surface, get scared and go away.

Dharma (Dhamma) chakra:

Dharma chakra in Wat Doi Suthep

Dharma chakra or the wheel of law is one of Buddha's symbols. The eight spokes signify following the "eight fold path".
It may stand by itself or sometimes is flanked by two deers on either side, a very common site in wats in Nepal. In the above picture it has chofah on either side.

There is definitley much more than what I cover here but even the knowledge about these terms helped me understand a little about the wats I visited.