Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is situated on the top of a mountain named Doi Suthep; therefore temple is also popular as Doi Suthep though it is not its actual name. Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is a Theravada Wat and is a sacred site to the Thai population. Interestingly no one can say for sure when it came into being, though there are many legends that try to put light on it; usually the quoted year is stated as 1383 when the stupa is believed to have been constructed for the very first time. Thailand Cars Rentals offers a wide fleet of Cars for Chiang Mai Downtown facilitating its visitors to visit any location in Chiang Mai in a more adventurous manner. So rent a car with us and ride through the top of Doi Suthep and the nearby mountains.
Wat Prathat Doi Suthep
Posted on: 26th February 2016
The Legend of White Elephant
Looming White Elephant legend is its most intriguing aspect and has been the temple’s integral part from the past many centuries. According to the legend there used to be a monk named Sumanathera, who once had a dream through which he was told to visit a place called Pang Cha where he was supposed to look for a relic. As per the legend the monk found the relic at that place which later on was recognized as Gautama Buddha’s shoulder bone. The legend also says that the relic had magical powers like it could vanish and at time was also able to replicate itself et al.
It is said that a king named King Nu Naone invited the monk to his kingdom on hearing about the relic’s divine nature and to everyone’s surprise the relic broke into two parts when the monk was on his way to the kingdom. One portion, the smaller one was sent to a temple in Suandok and the other portion was placed on the back of a white elephant which was allowed to move about in the jungle. It is said that the elephant died after climbing the Doi Suthep Mountain and the temple was constructed at the place where the elephant died.