Northern Insight Meditation Center Wat Ram Poeng (Tapotaram)
King Tilokaraj, one of the Mengrai Dynasty, was the ninth king of Chiangmai from 1985 to 2030 B.E. He had only one son, Tao Sri Boonroeng. King Tilokaraj was told by his favourite wife that Tao Sri Boonroeng who was then twenty years old was trying to overthrow him and become king himself. Consequently, Tilokaraj sent his son away to rule Chiang Rai and Chiangsaen which were under the domination of Chiangmai at the time.
After World War ll the villagers who used to live near Wat Ram Poeng and had scatteredto different places during the war came back. However, Wat Ram Poeng did not have an abbot to take care of it. Some monks came to stay for a while and left. In 2514 B.E. When work on rebuilding the Vihara had begun, Luang-poo Chansom or Khruba Som was invited to take over the post of abbot Two years later the work was completed, but Khruba Som passed away only several months after its commemoration.
In 2517 B.E. Phrakhru Pipatkanapibarn, the abbot of Wat Muang Mang and the head master of Vipassana Meditation Center, came to Wat Ram Poeng. He considered there. He decided to stay there and asked all the local people who were interested in Buddhism to help rebuilt the Wat. The response was such that on March 15, 2518 B.E. Wat Ram Poeng had the facilities to conduct courses in Vipassana Meditation and on this auspicious day the Insight Meditation center was founded with Ven. Phrakhru Pipatkanapibarn as its head and acting abbot of Wat Ram Poeng
The Buddha image, Luang Pau Sri Ayodhya, dating back some 700-800 years, was donated by Sergeant Prayoot Tripian on Saturday, March 22, 2518 B.E.
Since its foundation as a meditation retreat its support has grown and is well known to
meditate quiet, secluded and surrounded by woods. The center has facilities for both monks and lay meditators: and in recent years has responded to an ever increasing interest show by Thai meditators and foreign meditators from abroad, so that the Wat has appropriate accommodation for both, and an English speaking teacher and assistants.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep วัดพระธาตุดอยสุเทพ
According to legend, the temple site was chosen by an elephant carrying a holy relic. Originally the relic was to be enshrined at Wat Suan Dok in 1371, but it split in two. The second piece was placed on the back of an elephant which proceeded to climb Doi Suthep, stopping twice.
After three days the elephant finally reached a level piece of ground, circled three times, knelt down and then died. A hole was dug at the site for the relic, which was then covered with a chedi over seven meters in height.
Until the road was built in 1935, pilgrims had to walk up the mountain and then up more than 200 steps on the long naga stairway to reach the temple. This stairway was originally constructed in the mid-16th century in the reign of Phra Mekuti. Like the rest of the temple, the stairway has since been renovated several times.
Small tiles inscribed with the names of donors and the amounts given have been built into the walls just above each step.
The inner walled sanctuary is surrounded by a lower terrace. From this level there is an excellent view over Chiang Mai and valley. The faithful like to ring the bells and gongs round the base of the sanctuary. A statue of the elephant commemorates the founding of the temple.
The inner sanctuary is one of the classic sights of Chiang Mai. A gold plated chedi lies in the middle of a square marble tiled courtyard. The chedi reached its present height of over 16 meters in 1525 in the reign of King Muang Kaew. A railing surrounding the square base of the chedi encloses a walkway for devotional rounds of the chedi (women may not enter this). Parasols, symbols of royal regalia, have been placed at the four corners of the chedi.
The courtyard took its present shape under Chao Kawila in 1805. It is lined by a cloister which contains Buddha images and murals depicting the life of the Buddha. In the middle of the east and west sides of the cloister are two ornate viharn. The inside walls of both are covered with murals. The murals of the eastern viharn show the legend of the elephant and the relic, while those of the western hall show the Vessantara Jataka. Devotees go to the western viharn to receive blessings and lustral water from monks sitting on a dais.
On the south and northern sides of the cloister, smaller shrines are the subject of much veneration. Thais prostrate themselves and then shake a holder with 28 sticks to see which one falls to the ground first. A fortune reading for each of the numbers may be found in a cabinet nearby.
The power of the chedi and the sanctuary attract many visitors who are invited to make merit. The sanctuary contains numerous boxes for donations to worthy causes, such as the education of the needy.
Wat Chedi Luang วัดเจดีย์หลวง วรวิหาร
King Saen Muang Ma began building the Phra Chedi Luang to enshrine the relics of his father at the end of the 14th century, but King Tilokarat completed it. The chedi used to be 90 meters high before it was partly destroyed in an earthquake in 1545; it was to remain the tallest structure in Chiang Mai for over 500 years. The present restored chedi is about 60 meters high.
One of the best times to see this chedi is during the wian tian ceremony in the evening on one of the main Buddhist festival days.
The large viharn was built in 1928. Round columns with bell shaped bases and lotus finials support the high red ceiling inside. The standing Buddha image inside is known as the Phra Chao Attarot. Made of a combination of brass alloy and mortar, the image dates back to King Saen Muang Ma (r.1385-1401). Buddhist posters are placed along the walls between the windows, and cabinets with Buddha images and Bencharong ceramics line the walls.
The cross shaped hall to the south of the main viharn contains the city pillar. Statues in small shelters surrounding this building are homes of guardian spirits. Legends say that a hermit (whose image is in a shelter on the west side of the building) went to the God Indra to ask for protection for the city from enemies. On condition that appropriate offerings were made, Indra permitted two kumaphan (mythical human-beast creature) to carry the Inthakhin pillar from the Tavatimsa heaven to the city.
Chao Kawila moved the city pillar to its present site from Wat Sadoe Muang in 1800. He built statues of the kumaphan under shelters to the north and south of the main entrance to the temple. He also planted the three large yang (dipterocarpus alatus) trees. According to legend, the tree nearest the city pillar will protect Chiang Mai as long as it is not cut down.
Other buildings in the compound include the Lanna campus of the Mahamakut Buddhist University (This is the northern campus for monks of the Thammayut sect, a reformist sect founded by King Mongkut (Rama IV r.1851-1881, who was dissatisfied with the established Mahanikai sect in the late 1830’s). To the west of the chedi is a viharn with a reclining Buddha and the Sangkhachai Buddha. From this area an exit leads out onto Chaban Road.
Wat Jet Yod วัดเจ็ดยอด
King Tilokarat built the temple in 1455. The temple was probably copied from the design of the Mahabodhi temple in Pagan, which itself was a copy of the Indian temple at Bodhgaya.
It had been predicted that Buddhism would decline after 2000 years. King Tilokarat’s religious works, as well as those of other Southeast Asian monarchs of the time, were an attempt to prevent this decline. Wat Jet Yod was the site of the Eighth World Buddhist council in 1477, which revised the Tripitaka (Buddhist canon and teachings)
The temple gets its name from the seven chedis – jet yod – which sit on top of the old viharn. An arched tunnel at the center contains a seated Buddha image.
The laterite walls are decorated with over 70 stucco reliefs.
Though damaged, they still clearly show thewada (angel), beings who live in heavenly realms.
The faces on these images are reputed to be likenesses of the relatives of King Tilokarat.
Three chedis stand in the spacious grounds. The largest contains the ashes of King Tilokarat. The small ubosot nearby has a fine carved wood gable.
Several Buddha images in different attitudes may be found on the western side of the compound (signs give explanations in English).
The trees and grass in the spacious grounds have the feel of a park, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
Wat Chiang Man วัดเชียงมั่น
Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. It was constructed in 1296 by King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai. The temple features typical Northern Thai temple architecture and contains several old artifacts. Wat Chiang Man houses two very important and venerated Buddha figures – Phra Sila (a marble bas-relief Buddha supposed to have come from Sri Lanka 2,000 years ago) and Phra Satang Man (a crystal Buddha from Lopburi, thought to be about 1,800 years old).
During King Tilokkarat’s period (1441-1487) the stupa fell down and was reconstructed. After a long period of deterioration, the temple was restored by King Kawila (1782-1813). Despite the fact that Wat Chiang Man has been renovated and reconstructed several times it still maintains its original charm and appearance.
Wat Phra Singh วัดพระสิงห์วรวิหาร
This temple contains supreme examples of Lanna art. A chedi was first built by King Pha Yu (r.1337-55) to house the bones of his father King Kam Fu (r.1328- 37). The original name of the temple was Wat Li Chiang Phra but this was changed to Wat Phra Singh when the Phra Sihing Buddha image was first housed there in 1367.
The temple was almost certainly abandoned before Kawila re-established it by building the ubosot, and rebuilding the chedi. Chao Thammalangka (r.1813-21) and his successor, Chao Kham Fan (r. 1821-1825) further added (or rebuilt) the Viharn Lai Kham and the elegant scripture library building. Further renovations were carried out in the 1920’s when Khru Ba Srivichai supervised the construction of the present main viharn and rebuilt the chedi. The ubosot and scripture library were renovated in 1929.
The recently restored Viharn Lai Kham is a classic example of a Lanna style viharn and was built to house the Phra Sihing image enthroned inside. Lai Kham refers to the elegant gold tracery used for decoration. The front of the building is in three tiers. The portico has finely carved gables as well as an ornate stucco sum above the main doors.
On the inner walls of the Viharn Lai Kham are some murals originally commissioned by Chao Thammalangka. These are famous for their period style and the detail depicting earthy northern Thai scenes and the ways of the Burmese Court.
The murals show two fables. Prince Sang Thong of the Golden Conch lies on the north wall and the Heavenly Phoenix takes up the south. The fables illustrate the long suffering of heroes fighting against the powerful forces of evil before Indra intervenes and allows good to ultimately triumph.
Recent restoration has removed the earlier restoration of the 1920’s to show clearly the original style of the work. Much of the detail has been lost, however.
The north wall shows work done by a Chinese artist whose likeness is found in a small picture at the top in the middle of the wall.
Directly to the east of the main chedi, the wooden ubosot has ornate carvings around its doors and stucco patterns on the wooden pillars. The ubosot, which is usually locked, contains a tower-like shrine known as a mondop. The shape of the shrine was said to be similar to an earlier structure that used to stand in Wat Phra Yeun, Lamphun.
The small scripture repository – ho trai – in the north-east corner is the finest of its type in the north. It sits atop a raised base decorated with stucco Devas. The upper wooden structure is decorated with carvings and stucco and is covered in glass mosaic and gilded lacquer.
At the back of the compound are the temple administration buildings, monks’ kuti and a small hall contains a reclining Buddha.
Wat Suan Dok Temple วัดสวนดอก เชียงใหม่
This temple originally lay in a fortified square beyond Chiang Mai walls. Legends tell that King Ku Na invited the venerable Sumana Thera, a very pious monk from Sukhothai to bring the Buddhism of Sri Lanka to Chiang Mai.
The King offered him the royal flower garden (Suan Dok) as a place to build a temple. The temple was established in 1371.
When Sumana Thera was living in Sukhothai, he had a vision which showed him where to find a very holy relic that had long been buried near the city. When the relic was unearthed, miraculous illuminations took place confirming its power. These miracles did not repeat themselves for the King of Sukhothai, who left the relic in the care of the monk.
Thus when King Ku Na invited Sumana Thera to Chiang Mai, the monk brought the holy relic with him. When the relic was about to be enshrined at the temple, he found that the relic had split into two pieces. One of these pieces was kept at Wat Suan Dok, and the other was buried at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.
The main viharn was rebuilt in the early 1930’s by Khru Ba Srivichai. A large Buddha image with a hand in the position for holding straw stands back to back with the main seated image. The images took on their present shape under Khru Ba Srivichai.
A smaller viharn to the south contains a seated Buddha image – the Phra Chao Kao Tue – cast by King Muang Kaew in 1504. The Lanna style image stands 4.7 meters tall and is made up of nine pieces. The walls of the viharn are decorated with murals showing the previous lives of the Buddha (the Vessantara Jataka may be seen on the upper level of the north wall).
West of the main viharn numerous chedi contain the remains of the royal family of Chiang Mai. These were collected from different sites in Chiang Mai and placed there at the wish of Princess Dararatsmi in 1909. The compound also contains the northern campus of the Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University of the Mahanikai sect. A wall with tall ornamental gates surrounds the compound, and the remains of earthen walls that once surrounded the fortified monastery can still be seen on the opposite side of the road.