Sunday 29 December 2024
Visiting temples north of the old city of Chiang Mai

Wat Santitham

Wat Santitham is an old temple. Despite a good amount of research, I could not learn just how old the temple is. Over the twelve years I have been visiting Chiang Mai, I have seen many renovations take place at Wat Santitham, including the construction of an all-wood building, and I have watched the completion of the large chedi.

A question I have about Wat Santitham is why it is on Hussadhisawee Road and not Santitham Road, a question that will likely go unanswered. Upon entering the temple grounds, I see the large viharn (assembly hall) directly ahead of me. Other than that, there are no other people to be seen here today. This is typically a busy place, but not today.

On the left is the wooden building, now complete with beautiful woodwork.

Approaching the viharn, there is decoration in place, likely for the upcoming New Year’s celebration. The entrance to this viharn is unique in that it is guarded by two elephants instead of some fierce mythical creature. Inside the viharn, it is quite stark with little decoration other than the bright red carpet and a bodhi tree mural on the wall behind the Buddha statue at the altar.

Here is a photo I took in January 2023 showing the mural behind the Buddha closer.

At the back of the viharn is the new chedi for which construction started in 2014. It is styled from the early Lanna era and based on Wat Chedi Liam in the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam southeast of the old city of Chiang Mai. This is also very similar in style to the chedi at the previous temple I visited today, Wat Chiang Chom. Here is a photo I took when I visited Wat Chedi Liam at Wiang Kum Kam in 2020 next to a photo I took of the chedi at Wat Santitham today.

The chedi at Wat Santitham has a square base with five square layers rising in diminishing size like a pyramid. It has many niches, three on each side of each level making 60 niches, now all filled with Buddha images in the standing mudra. At the base, there are also four porches which lead into the interior of the chedi. Here is a photo looking inside at the Buddha image there, and also a closer view of the standing Buddha images in the niches. Those Buddha images are in the Abhaya Mudra, a gesture of fearlessness and granting protection.

Being a little unnerved by the emptiness of the temple grounds, almost to the point where I was wondering if I should even be there, I walked to the entrance and continued my walk back into the old city and back to The 3-Sis, my home away from home here.

Next: Returning to Wat Chedi Luang