Friday 20 November 2009

Year of Goat: Phra That Doi Suthep Stupa, Chiang Mai

Phra That Doi Suthep stupa is situated on top of the Doi Suthep hill.

In 1373, King Kue Na of Lanna invited a monk from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai. The monk, Phra Sumon Thera, brought with him a piece of the Buddha’s relics found at the city of Pang Cha. This relic performed a miracle by multiplying into two pieces. One relic was kept at the Wat Buppharam temple. King Kue Na placed another relic on a holy elephant and asked the elephant to find a place to house the relic. The elephant walked up to the top of the Doi Suthep hill; cried three times; walked in circle three times and fell dead there. As a result, the King built a stupa to house the relic there.
In 1538, King Phra Mueang Ket Klao restored and enlarged the stupa to its present-day state. It is believed that worshipping the stupa from all four cardinal directions will improve a person’s intelligence. In the past, on Visakhabucha day, people will make a pilgrimage to the stupa.

Location - Mueang district, Chiang Mai

Getting there
By Car -From Bangkok take highway no. 32 to Nakhon Sawan and then take highway no. 1 passing through Tak to Lampang. After that take highway no. 11 to Chiang Mai. The distance from Bangkok is around 700 km. Once in Chiang Mai, drive along Huai Keo road to Doi Suthep hill.

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