We are now at Wat Chedi Luang,
One of Chiang Mai’s most important temples
located in the
ancient walled part of the city.
The Wat Chedi Luang, also known as the Jedi Luang
and “The temple of the Great Stupa” initially
consisted of two more temples named Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin, that were all merged into
one.
Wat Chedi Luang
was built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, 8th ruler of the
Men
grai dynasty. He intended the structure to house the ashes of his father, Ku Na. Appropriately,
the site was designated as a 'ku luang' instead of a chedi since it was not intended to house relics
of the Buddha.
The massive
chedi
was expanded ov
er the centuries, until it reached its final form in 1475, when
King Tilokaraj made it the home of the Emerald Buddha, the most important cultural treasure in
Thailand. At one point the reliquary
--
which had come to be known as a chedi
--
was 144 feet wide
an
d 282 feet tall. Unfortunately, the
chedi
was heavily damaged in the 1545 earthquake during the
reign of Queen Mahadevi. The Emerald Buddha remained here for about six years after the
earthquake, whereupon it was brought to Luang Prabang
(in today's Laos) by King Setthathirat,
who ruled Chiang Mai for a short period in the years following the earthquake.
Next attraction is the viharn
or an image hall.
The viharn
is a much newer structure decorated with naga (water snake
) and peacock motifs.
According to Roy Hudson, visitors entering this temple should take note of the massive tree to the
left of the entrance. Legend says that if this tree should ever fall, a great catastrophe will occur.
A small building near the tree enshrines the "Spirit of the City" (Sao Intakin) that was moved from its
original site in 1775.