Doi
Suthep
TOUR CODE : -
There are plenty of legends surrounding
the mountaintop temple of Doi Suthep. Stories from long
ago tell tales of a wandering 14th-Century monk and
a dying elephant, a hermit and of villagers coming together
to build a road to a holy shrine. Combined with the
physical aura of the place, these stories weave a magic
concoction for northern-bound travellers.
Rising 1676 metres above the city of Chiang Mai, Doi
Suthep is one of the most revered religious destinations
in Thailand and is often packed with interested onlookers,
especially when the weather is cooler and the days crisp
and clear.
But first a legend. A 14th-Century monk from Sukhothai
had a vision one day - he saw a fire and when he followed
it, he found a relic (apparently a bone) from the Buddha
himself. He took the relic to his king, but it failed
to reproduce its magical powers and the king lost interest.
However, King Keu Naone of the Lanna Kingdom heard of
the monk and invited him north to Chiang Mai and offered
to enshrine the relic. The building was completed and
preparations were made to house the relic. When the
time came to do this, the relic broke in two, leading
the king to make a new plan.
At the northern gate of the city, now known as Chang
Puak (white elephant gate), he placed half of the relic
on the back of a sacred white elephant and sent it off
into the wilderness.
The elephant headed due west, climbed slowly up the
slopes of Doi Suthep, trumpeted a last call and then
dropped dead.
On that spot, legend goes, the temple was built in 1383.
Doi Suthep is actually named for a legendary hermit,
named Sudeva, who lived on the slopes. Before this,
about 1,000 years ago, it was still known as Doi Aoy
Chang (Sugarcane Elephant Mountain).
It is easy enough to get to Doi Suthep. Public transportation
may be used to travel the road 16 kilometres northwest
out of Chiang Mai, past Chiang Mai University and ascend
the winding road up the mountain to the base of the
temple.
There are two choices once you have reached the base
of the temple - either hike up the 300 steps to the
temple gate (admiring the longest Naga staircase in
Thailand on the way) or, hop on one of the cable cars
and get conveyed to the top. Most opt for the walk.
Once inside Wat Suthep, you are free to wander the grounds,
admiring what each section has to offer. Like many temples
in Thailand, there are elements of Hinduism mixed in
with Buddhism and an intriguing array of statues, including
the god Ganesh, peek out from corners, cubby holes and
from the sides of temple buildings.
Metal bells, double-stacked, line a couple of walls
and are kept busy throughout the day. Signs above the
bells admonish visitors "not to push the bell."
The lookout area is the other side from the entrance
gate and viewers can gaze down at the city of Chiang
Mai and its international airport far below. From here,
you have a clear view of the winding Ping River and
the surrounding mountains.
In the middle of the temple is the sacred square cloister
area, where, upon shedding shoes and ascending another
dozen steps, visitors can see the Lanna-style, copper-plated
chedi topped by a five-tiered gold umbrella. It is considered
one of the holiest areas in Thailand. Monks inside are
kept busy blessing the devout with holy water and the
smell of incense and burning candles fill the senses
as you circumnavigate the cloister.
Another more recent legend about Doi Suthep concerns
a monk in the 1930's. In 1934, there was still no road
leading up the mountain and the faithful had to make
the arduous climb in order to visit the temple. Pra
Krubra Srivichai, a local monk, thought that the temple
needed better access and organized the local villages
in order to build a road.
He asked each village to construct 10 metres and with
this plan in hand, the locals finished the job in just
six months. A recent expansion of the road covered over
plaques honouring each village, but a statue honouring
Srivichai still remains, at the base of the mountain.
It is believed to be good luck to pay homage to him
before ascending Doi Suthep.
Many who visit don't realize that Doi Suthep is actually
one part of the larger Doi Suthep National Park. The
National Park encompasses 261 square kilometres. Evergreen
hills, mixed deciduous and pine forest are all represented
at the park and there are over 300 bird species and
nearly 2000 species of fern and flowering plants that
thrive there. During the late day and early morning,
the bird species are much in evidence, flitting around
the periphery of the temple.
Phra Tamnak Phu Phing, the vacation palace for the royal
family, is also in the immediate area and is often included
in tours to Doi Suthep, along with a visit to a local
Hmong hill-tribe village.
Thanks to the industriousness of Srivichai, it is now
easy to pay a visit to Doi Suthep, although the old
hiking trail does still exist for those yearning for
a more difficult challenge. Either way, the beauty,
the holiness and the legends of Doi Suthep wait to be
explored.
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