Monday, January 28, 2019
Return to Two Favorite Temples on My Last Day

Today is my last day in Chiang Mai. My flight leaves tonight at 11:15 PM, arriving at the Incheon (Seoul) airport tomorrow morning at 6:15 AM local time. After breakfast, I finished packing and checked out from See You Soon just before noon, leaving my luggage with them. A taxi will take me to the airport at about 7:30 PM, so I have some time this afternoon to be a tourist. My friends Liz and Bryan from the Seattle, Washington area are here, and I made plans to visit two temples I thought they would like, long-time favorites of mine. The temples are Wat Suan Dok and Wat Jed Yod. Both are outside the old city, and too far to walk, so we hired a driver to take us to both and bring us back.

Wat Suan Dok

The actual name of this temple is Wat Buppharam Dok Mai. The temple is located about one kilometer directly west of the western gate in the wall of the old city, in an area that was once the king’s flower gardens. Suan Dok translates to “flower garden”. Wat Suan Dok is an important temple, classified as a Royal Temple of the Third Class.

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 the chedi at Wat Buppharam Dok Mai. The other relic was placed on the back of a royal 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.

The viharn (worship hall) at Wat Suan Dok is large, massive. This is the largest viharn I have seen. I think easily more than 2000 people could be inside at one time.

Large viharn (worship hall) at Wat Suan Dok

The inside of the viharn is large, and at the same time elaborate.

Inside the viharn at Wat Suan Dok

A closer view of the alter area and the Buddha statues:

At the back of the alter is this very large standing Buddha. A couple of years ago it was surrounded in scaffolding while being restored. Today it stands alone, tall and reverent, facing the large chedi and the setting sun.

At the base of the alter and platform on which the standing Buddha is, the decoration is of these very fun-looking dancing thewada (angelic beings who live in the heavenly realms). I love their whimsical look:

I just love their playful look, and have photographed them every time I visit this temple.

Outside at the back (western or setting-sun side) of the viharn is the large gold chedi in which the relic is housed:

Large gold chedi at Wat Suan Dok

After a short visit, we found the driver and headed to Wat Jed Yod.

Next: Final Day, Two Favorite Temples, Part 2