| Wat
Chedi Luang (1391 onward) other
sites in Chiang Mai |
Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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Wat Chedi Luang (a.k.a.. Jedi Luang) was built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, 8th ruler of the Mengrai dynasty. The massive chedi (pagoda) was expanded over the centuries, until it reached its final form in 1475, when King Tilokarat made it the home of the Emerald Buddha, the most important cultural treasure in Thailand. At one point the chedi was 144 feet wide and 282 feet tall. Unfortunately, the pagoda was heavily damaged in the 1545 earthquake during the reign of Queen Mahadevi.
The viharn, or worship hall, 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 tall gum 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.
Bibliography:
Aasen, Clarence. Architecture of Siam: A Cultural History and
Interpretation
Oxford University Press. Oxford. 1998
Cummings, Joe. Thailand
Lonely Planet Publications. Singapore. 1990
Hudson, Roy. Hudson's Guide to Chiang Mai and the North
(no publisher given). Chiang Mai? 1971
All images copyright 2000 by Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University, Nebraska, USA