Wat Chiang Man

The oldest Temple in Chiang Mai town, Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296 by King Mengrai of Lanna kingdom. The temple is famous for its Lanna-style chedi supported by rows of elephant-shaped buttresses. The beautiful Lanna-style ordination hall enshrines an ancient Buddha image named Phra Kaew Khao, revered by Chiang Mai locals. Wat Chiang Man is situated off of Ratchapakhinai Road in the northeast corner of the old city. Some sights to see inside the temple are: - Chedi Chang Lom: the 'Elephant Chedi' is the oldest construction within the temple complex. The square base supports a second level which has the front half of 15 life-sized brick-and-stucco elephants emerging from it. The elephants seem to carry the upper levels of the building on their backs. The gilded upper part of the chedi contains a bell shaped relic chamber directly underneath the pinnacle. - Main Wihan: the larger of the two wihans was renovated in the 1920s by the monk Khru Ba Srivichai. The building houses a large mondop structure for an altar surrounded by Buddha statues. One of the standing Buddha's has the year 1465 CE engraved on its base, which would make it the oldest statue of the Lanna Kingdom. It is also the oldest statue of Thailand which shows the Buddha with an alms bowl. The façade of the wihan features gilded carvings of Kirtimukha in between flower and plant motives. - New Wihan: the smaller of the two wihans houses two important statues of the Buddha which, due to their protective powers, are regarded as the Palladium statues of Chiang Mai: - The Phra Sae Tang Khamani is also known as the 'Phra Kaew Khao' or 'Crystal Buddha'. This 10 cm tall statue is carved out of a clear quartz crystal. According to Oliver Hargreave,[3] the statue was crafted around 200 CE for King Ramraj of Lopburi and brought to the Hariphunchai Kingdom (present day Lamphun) by Queen Jamadevi in 662 CE. It was only transferred to Chiang Mai by King Mangrai in 1296 after he had conquered Lamphun. As it survived the pillaging of that city, the statue is thought to protect against disasters. However, Carol Stratton[4] dates the statue as having been created in the 15th century based on its style characteristics. The gold covered wooden base and golden canopy are later additions donated by King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai in 1874. Together they contain more than 6 kg of gold. - The Phra Sila statue is a stone stele depicting a standing Buddha whilst taming the elephant 'Nalagiri' in bas-relief. The temple states that the statue originated from India before being transferred to its present location. However, others believe the statue originated from Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) and might date from either the 8th or 10th century CE depending on the source[citation needed]. Due to the religious belief that the statue has rain-giving powers, this statue features prominently in the Songkran festival at the end of the dry season. - Ubosot: in front of the ubosot one can find a stone stele from the year 1581 CE. This stele contains the oldest mentioning of the founding date of Chiang Mai: the 12th of April, 1296 CE at 4 am. It also mentions that the ubosot was commissioned by King Mangrai and that Phya Saen Luang had it restored in 1571. The present building was built in the 19th century. - Ho Trai: the Temple Library (scripture depository) of Wat Chiang Man is of a fairly plain design when compared to the Ho Trai belonging to Wat Phra Singh. It is a wooden building set on top of a high plastered brick base. Most temples in Chiang Mai do not feature a Ho Trai. - Lotus Pond - as with Ho Trai, temple ponds do not feature at most Chiang Mai temples. Both Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chiang Man have one. Opening hours: 8.00 am-5.00 pm