On our first day in Chiang Mai we decided to try out the prison massage. We had to book a few hours in advance, however, so we decided to wander the city and see what we could find. We ended up seeing a lot of temples around the centre of town.
Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang
Around the corner from the Chiang Mai Women Correctional Institution Vocational Training Center, we found this small but beautiful temple. Inthakin means Indra’s Pillar, representing the king of Devas (gods) in the Hindu religion. It is said to been erected by King Mangrai on the founding of the city of Chiang Mai.
It is said that the stupa here contains the treasures of King Mangrai. According to local legend, the king was visiting a market on this spot when he was struck by lightning and killed. His son would later build the stupa on the spot where he died.
Three Kings Monument
Next we walked past the Three Kings Monument, a statue depicting the three kings considered the founders of the Lanna (Northern Thailand) kingdom. It stands outside Chiang Mai’s City Arts and Cultural Center, which was closed at the time so we didn’t take the opportunity to visit.
Wat Phantao
Nearby we found another temple that used to be a throne hall for a Chiang Mai king. The wooden panels of the original hall were torn down and used to build this temple after the accession of a new king.
As we wandered the temple, we could see a large weathered stupa poking over the buildings. This was not a part of this temple complex, but we decided to try and get a closer look.
Wat Chedi Luang
Chedi Luang actually refers to the stupa itself, this area is actually three different temples alongside the Mahamakut Buddhist University. As you enter you will walk past a shrine, and encounter the Pillar Vihara. Women aren’t allowed in here since, as is explained outside, they menstruate and that would “humiliate and ruin the sanctity of the city pillar.”
The first temple was being restored when we visited, so the peaceful aura of the grounds were disturbed by the sounds of drilling. Inside the temple were several small stupas and buddha statues coated in gold leaf. They reminded me of one of Magic Ma’s pieces I saw last time I was in Shanghai.
The stupa itself, though heavily restored, still shows its age. Guarded by Nagas and surrounded by elephants, several golden Buddha statues have been placed within. The restoration of this stupa was apparently controversial, as it was believed it introduced elements that didn’t represent Lanna culture.
A temple near the back of the grounds housed the essences of monks that had dedicated themselves to the temples, as well as an extremely lifelike figure of one of the head monks that recently passed away. It took us by surprise as we thought it a real person at first.
On the other side of the stupa there was a museum filled with many artefacts that had been gifted to the temple, including statues of the reclining Buddha achieving Nirvana; and a statue of Airavata, the three headed elephant that Indra rides.
As you leave the temple and walk past the university you will see students ready to discuss Buddhism and their lives with visitors. It is both an opportunity to learn more about the life of a monk and for them to practise both their teaching and English abilities.
After visiting the temple it was close to the time for our appointment. We returned to the Training Center to experience a prison massage.
