January 5, 2016 Walking to Wat Suan Dok

Today I am going to increase the walk a bit. One circuit of the wall / moat is about 6 km or 4 miles, as the wall is close to square and about 1.5 km on each side.

Today I went south to Chiang Mai gate, then counter-clockwise around Katam Corner, north past Tha Phae Gate, around Si Phum Corner at the northeast, across the northern wall to Hua Lin Corner, The picture shows part of the wall at Chiang Mai gate.

This picture shows the moat looking north from Katam Corner. when I got to Hua Lin corner on the northwest, I proceeded south along the wall, and at Suan Dok Gate, about half way between the northwest and southwest corners, I headed west on Suthep Road. Suan Dok means flower gardens, and the area to the west of Suan Dok Gate once was the King Kue Na’s flower gardens in the late 1300s. Now it is a busy area of several teaching hospitals.

Wat Buppharam Dok Mai (Wat Suan Dok)

Soon, on tired feet, I arrived at Wat Suan Dok.

This picture gives an idea of the massive size of the main viharn (worship hall) at Wat Suan Dok. This is the largest viharn I have seen. I think easily more than 2000 people could be inside.

Many, many tourists by the busload, truckload, and carload go to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep every day, a beautiful and significant temple. But that is only part of the story. Wat Suan Dok is the other part of the story.

According to legend a monk from the Sukhothai Kingdom, after having had a vision, discovered a relic of the Buddha which, also according to the same vision, was to be housed in Chiang Mai. Wat Buppharam Dok Mai (Wat Suan Dok) was built to house the relic. When the moment arrived for the relic to be housed in the newly built temple, it miraculously duplicated itself. One of the relics was housed, as intended, in a shrine inside Wat Buppharam Dok Mai. The other relic was placed on the back of a white elephant which (being followed by the King and his army) then climbed up Doi Suthep, the mountain directly west of Chiang Mai, where it trumpeted three times and died. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was built on that spot to house the second relic. (I’ll visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep soon.)

In the back of the viharn is this large standing Buddha statue. Last year it was surrounded in scaffolding while being restored. Today it stands alone, tall and reverent, facing the large chedi and the setting sun.

The other side at the front of the viharn, you can see the back of the head of the standing Buddha above the seated Buddha facing the camera. These are large and just stunning in the day’s light.

This gives an idea of the size of the inside of the viharn. I think it is probably 75 meters from the doors to the Buddha statues.

Then my favorite, the large gold chedi at the back of the viharn housing the relic. It is hard to show its size and the powerful feeling one has when standing nearby.

Another view of the large gold chedi at Wat Suan Dok catching the late afternoon light.

After walking the 2 km (1.5 miles) back to 3-Sis, my FitBit reported about 12,000 steps. I think I earned a shower. I went off to yoga practice, then searched for dinner, settling on a small Thai restaurant named Thais That Bind down the block from 3-Sis (and I forgot to take pictures of the food).

As I have said a few times, a long, a little tiring, but a very good day in Chiang Mai.

Next: Walking to Wat Kate Karam