Historic Chedi: The Old City

Part of Ancient Chiang Mai

There are currently eight isolated chedi within the walls of the historic Old City. Just a few years ago, before the re-establishment of Wat Chet Lin, there would have been nine; not too far in the future, following the restoration of Wat Inthakhin, there will only be six. For the most part they stand scattered near Prapokklao, the old royal way from Pratu Chang Puak to Pratu Chiang Mai. The following survey follows approximately this north-south axis.

The former Royal Palace

There are two old chedi within the grounds of Yupparat School about which little is known. It is known that the precincts of Yupparat were once the site of the palace, white elephant stables and other royal buildings of the chao or Lords of Chiang Mai, and quite possibly of the earlier Burmese and Lan Na Kings. The area has long been intimately associated with Chiang Mai royalty, and as recently as 1891, the surveyor James McCarthy's map of Chiang Mai, published by the Royal Geographical Society, London, marks the area as being the residence of the 'Chief'. It is probable that the two chedi, which are some distance apart, were part of a former royal temple. It is also likely that they served as reliquaries for the ashes of deceased royalty.

Yupparat Chedi 1 ยุผราช เจดีย์ ๑

In the northeast of the school grounds, tucked away behind administrative buildings near the intersection of Prapokklao Soi 3 and Ratchaphakinai, stands an octagonal brick chedi on a slightly redented base, surmounted by a pointed spiral finial and a new golden plee. Crumbling stucco surrounds the upper part of the brick base. Covered with moss and small shrubs, the chedi is still venerated with offerings of puang malee garlands of jasmine, small elephant images, incense and candles. There are two kneeling figures of thevada on the northeast corner of the base, one of which looks new, while the other has all but disintegrated. At the time of our visit in April 2006, the chedi was surrounded with bamboo scaffolding as part of ongoing restoration work. There is no descriptive plaque.

Yupparat Chedi 2 ยุผราช เจดีย์ ๒

Just within and to the west of the school gate, on the north side of Ratwithi, near the former White Elephant Stable and clearly visible from the road, stands a second chedi unidentified by any plaque. An attractive, small, round brick structure, topped with elaborate floral stucco rising to a spiral finial, not pointed, but blossoming halfway up into stylised lotus petals, it is topped by a tarnished but undamaged metal plee. The slightly redented brick base rises through three levels, with the remains of stucco lotuses on the second level, west side. Small elephant images, candles and incense line the second level of the base on the east side, indicating that the nameless chedi is still venerated, no doubt by students hoping for good results, among other pious folk.

Wat Inthakin วัด อินทขีล

Also known as Wat Sadeu Muang วัด สะดื เมือง or 'Temple of the City Navel', this was once the location of the lak muang or city pillar, known as the Sao Inthakhin or 'Pillar of Indra'. As such, it was once and is - a locality imbued with the greatest spiritual and ritual significance. It is not recorded when the city pillar was first set up at here, but it is likely to have been at the founding of the city by King Mangrai in 1296.

According to Lan Na tradition, Mangrai selected the site when he saw two fearless albino hog deer drive off a pack of wolves near the spot. In the words of the Chiang Mai Chronicle, the King announced: 'Since I came touring in search of a place to found a city, I found no place until I came here that was an auspicious site, where I should build a city - a true jeyyanagara' [City of Victory]. Lan Na tradition further suggests that when a bolt of lightning killed Mangrai in 1311, the king's ashes were interred in a chedi at Wat Sadeu Muang.

Despite its central significance to the spiritual welfare of Chiang Mai, the temple fell on hard times, perhaps in the mid-16th century during the reign of King Mae Ku (1551-64). In this regard, the Wat Meun Lan version of the Legend of Chiang Mai apparently records that Mae Ku forbade the people of the city to pay their respects to the city pillar during his reign, and that this (together with numerous other serious violations of tradition) resulted in the downfall of Lan Na and the Burmese conquest of 1558.

Nothing is known of Wat Sadeu Muang during the Burmese occupation, though by the time of the Chao Kawila's defeat of the Burmese in 1775 and subsequent decision to temporarily abandon the city, the temple was clearly deserted. Twenty years later, as part of his policy to repopulate Chiang Mai, Kawila re-established the temple, changing its name to Wat Inthakhin. According to the Chiang Mai Chronicle, at full moon time in April, 1794: 'The first great royal merit-making ceremony took place. The Lord built the great vihara of Wat Inthakhin, and erected a Buddha image as a focus for worship by the public and the gods, and for the monks and brahmans'.

Later, however, in 1805, Kawila ordered the Sao Inthakhin moved to the precincts of nearby Ku Luang, now known as Wat Chedi Luang, where it remains to the present day. The reasons for Kawila's decision are not spelled out, the Chiang Mai Chronicle simply recording that: 'On the full moon day of the fifth month (February 2), the King of Chiang Mai took the lead in building the temple of Wat Inthakhin, inaugurating and celebrating and making merit'. In an accompanying footnote, the translators of the Chronicle, Wyatt and Wichienkeeo, add: 'When the foundation pillar (lak muang) was moved to be erected at Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Inthakhin and Wat Sadeu Muang were abandoned'.

At present all that remains of the former Wat Sadeu Muang / Wat Inthakhin are two ancient chedi and the large Buddha image - 'Luang Pho Khao' - erected by Kawila in 1794. They are separated by Thanon Inthawarorot, a road named for Inthawarorot Suriyawong, the 8th Chao Muang (1901-11), and currently renowned for its many small but excellent restaurants.

To the north of Inthawarorot, in the grounds of the Chiang Mai City Arts and Culture Centre, an octagonal brick chedi dating from 14th century stands next to a restored well amid temple footings exposed in recent excavations. There are stucco niches in each of the eight sides, one of which - east facing - has been opened to reveal an interior chamber. The top of the chedi is bell-shaped, surmounted by a pointed spiral finial.

To the south of the road, just west of Kawila's great Buddha image, a circular chedi dating from the 15-16th centuries is similarly surmounted by a bell and finial. Michael Freeman records that it has been partly opened to reveal an older brick chedi within. It is interesting to speculate that this mighty be the reliquary said to contain the ashes of King Mangrai. A standing Buddha image approximately 1 metre high stands in a west-facing niche halfway up the chedi. It has been damaged, and only the lower half of the body and feet survive. During daytime, the chedi is habitually surrounded by mobile foodstalls.

Wat Inthakin / Sadeu Muang was reconsecrated after 1997, and the current temple offices are in a modern building on the south of Thanon Inthawarorot in the row of shophouses to the east of the Luang Pho Khao image. In November 2005, the Chiangmai Mail reported that plans were underway for the restoration of the ancient temple, though these have yet to be completed.

Wat Kitti วัด กิตติ

In the grounds of Chiang Mai Kindergarten, to the south of Ratchamankha, stands the most impressive of all the abandoned chedi in the Old City. Given its size and splendour, surprisingly little is known about it. It rises from a massive redented brick base through seven levels to the central garbha, which is in turn surmounted by seven round brick levels supporting a gilded bell-shaped anda decorated with repoussé metalwork, probably bronze, topped by a gilded spire, slightly broken at the top. There is no plee.

A plaque at the site notes that the chedi is similar in style to that of Wat Phrathat Haripunchai in Lamphun; certainly the repoussé work on the bell is similar in style, though it depicts stylised flowers rather than Buddha images. According to the plaque, in 1870 Chao Inthanon (1871-97) ordered the palace of the recently deceased Chao Kawilorot (1856-70) to be demolished and used in the building of two viharn, one at Wat Saen Fang, the other here, at Wat Kitti. The temple was abandoned in 1946, and in 1981 the Ministry of Education built the Chiang Mai Kindergarten on the site. The great chedi is well maintained and venerated, and signs in Thai advise the children to behave in a seemly manner in its vicinity. The Fine Arts Department has registered it as an archaeological site.

Wat Cheitta วัด เชษฐา

Located to the northeast of the intersection of Ratchadamnoen and Prapokklao Roads, and set within a fenced-off section of the Nam Rong School grounds, an attractive brick chedi is all that remains of the former Wat Cheitta. A faded plaque notes that nothing concerning the temple is recorded in local chronicles, 'except that the name is related to King Chaicheitta of Luang Phrabang who ruled Chiang Mai during the 15th century' [King Setthathirat, 1546-51]. The plaque describes the relic as 'a round-shaped chedi typical of Chiang Mai in the 15th century with decorative mouldings similar to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep'. It is in fact very similar to the elegantly gilded octagonal main chedi at Doi Suthep, and is similarly eight-sided, so why the plaque should describe chedi Wat Cheitta as 'round-shaped' is something of a mystery.

Wat Nong Yaa Praek วัด หนอง หญ้า แพรก

Concealed behind a contemporary pawn shop on Bamrungburi Road, somewhat to the west of Bambrungburi Soi 3 and the local Fire Station, stands a rather battered chedi of which little is known. According to a very faded plaque at the site, this is all that remains of Wat Nong Yaa Praek, which is 'not mentioned in any chronicle, but probably dates from the 15th century". Like Wat Cheitta (above), this notice describes the chedi as 'round-shaped, with stucco mouldings, typical of the Lan Na 14th-15th century architecture'. Yet it is palpably octagonal, and not round. Set on a redented brick base, is rises through four square levels to the central garbha, and then five further octagonal levels to a small, damaged, bell-shaped anda with no surviving finial or plee. On the north side it abuts local domestic housing and is covered with potted plants. To the east there is a small spirit house. At the time of our visit it was girdled with a saffron cloth.

Wat Fon Soi วัด ฟอน สร้อย

On the north side of Prapoklao Soi 2, the narrow lane that runs immediately behind Pratu Chiang Mai Market, stands a small but attractive chedi which is all that survives of a former incarnation of nearby Wat Fon Soi. A plaque erected by the Fine Arts Department notes that there is currently no evidence concerning either the construction or the abandonment of this temple, however the Nirat Haripunchai (1517) mentions a 'beautiful Buddha head' enshrined here. The plaque further adds that the name Wat Fon Soi is mentioned in The Chronicle of the Lan Na Thai Legend [?] as a temple dedicated to Phra Tera, 'a high-ranking patriarch between 1562-1601'. A circular relic chamber surmounts the square base of the chedi, with four niches for Buddha images placed at the cardinal points. The remains of a circular, bell-shaped dome that must formerly have supported a spire and plee finial, still rests atop the chedi. The Fine Arts Department, which excavated the former temple in 1999 and restored the chedi in 2003, considers that it may date from the 16th century.

chedi Wat Fon Sai is located right beside a narrow thoroughfare that is constantly busy in daylight hours with commerce spilling over from Chiang Mai Gate Market, and there are generally vendors selling fruit, vegetables and snack foods in front of it, lending the stupa a pleasingly 'living' feel. It is sundered from the more recent, re-established and prosperous Wat Fon Soi to the north by a private dwelling and a narrow lane. When we photographed it a contented black dog was lying by the base gnawing what appeared to be the jawbone of a goat.

Text by Andrew Forbes. © CPA Media, 2006