Wat Phra Doi That Suthep is a Buddhist temple and is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrim locations in Thailand. It is located about 9 miles (15 kilometers) outside of Chiang Mai at an elevation of 3,520 ft (1,073 meters) on the Doi Suthep mountain. The temple is often referred to as Doi Suthep. An interesting note is the translation of the name of this temple. “Wat” means temple, “Phra” refers to a Buhhda image, “That” means relic. The legend of the origin of the temple is about a monk, Sumanathera, who had a dream. In that dream, he was told to go to Pang Cha and look for a relic. Sumanathera traveled to Pang Cha where he found a bone. Many believed that this bone was Buddha’s shoulder bone. As with most legends, this bone had magic powers – it glowed, was able to disappear and reappear, and could move. As a good subject and monk, Sumanathera took the bone to his King – King Dhammaraja who was king of Skuhoithai. The king received the monk, even had a special ceremony when he arrived. However, the bone didn’t display any of the special magic that Sumanathera had seen. This caused the king to doubt that it was the bone of Buddha and told the monk to keep it.
Now, the King of Lan Na, King Nu Naone heard about the relic and asked Sumanathera to bring it to him. With King Dhammaraja’s blessings, the monk took the bone to King Nu Naone in 1368. When Sumanathera arrived and presented the relic, it broke into two pieces. One piece of the bone was enshrined in the Wat Suan Dok in the town of Lamphun, south of Chiang Mai. The king placed the other piece of the bone on a white elephant. That elephant climbed up the mountain Doi Suthep, trumpeted three times and then collapsed dead. It was believed to be an omen and King Nu Naone ordered that a temple be built where the elephant died.


Actually, to visit the stupa you must climb 309 steps, protected by a gorgeous Naga statue.






Here are some of my photos of the inner terrace –









The following pictures are from the outer terrace.







Well, that is about all of my pictures and the tour of Wat Phra Doi That Suthep.
Until my next post, I wish you sparkles, joy, and many blessings! āØšš
Great post š
Thank you ever so much!
In what building of the Wat was this image taken? https://i0.wp.com/sharalynlovesanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_8698.jpeg?resize=1024%2C924&ssl=1
Hello Laura, I am so sorry but I don’t know what building the image was taken. According to my notes, it was on the inner terrace the holiest of places on the temple grounds. I am sorry that I cannot answer your question in better detail.