Wat Suan Dok

Wat Suan Dok, also known by its older name Wat Buppharam, is a prominent Buddhist temple located in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Translating to "flower garden temple," it was founded in 1370 CE by King Kue Na of Lanna for the revered monk Sumana Thera. Situated west of the city moat, the temple holds the distinction of being a Royal Temple of the Third Class.

History and Legend

The temple was established within the ancient Lawa settlement of Wiang Suan Dok, predating Chiang Mai itself. Its original name, Wat Buppharam, derived from King Kue Na's adjacent flower garden. According to legend, the monk Sumana Thera was guided by a vision to bring a Buddha relic to Chiang Mai. When the relic was to be enshrined at the newly built Wat Buppharam Dok Mai, it miraculously duplicated. One relic was placed in the temple's shrine, while the other, carried by a white elephant, led to the foundational site of the equally significant Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep on the nearby mountain.

Sights and Architecture

A striking feature of Wat Suan Dok is its large, 48-meter-high bell-shaped chedi, constructed in a distinct Sri Lankan style, which is visible from a distance. This chedi is traditionally believed to house a relic of the Buddha. The original stair access on its four sides has been updated with ramps adorned with classic Lanna motifs of seven-headed nāgas emerging from the mouths of makaras.

Adjacent to the chedi is a substantial sala kan prian (sermon hall), built in 1932 by the renowned monk Phra Krubra Srivichai, who also oversaw restorations and the construction of an ubosot. Inside the sala, Buddha statues are positioned facing opposite directions: one seated in meditation facing east and another standing, holding a bundle of straw, facing west towards the chedi. An older Lanna-style Buddha statue, dating back to King Kue Na's era and noted for its individually formed toes influenced by Sri Lankan art, is also present.

The renovated ubosot houses the "Phra Chao Kao Tue," a 4.70-meter-high bronze Buddha statue cast in 1504 CE during the reign of King Mueang Kaeo. This statue exhibits Sukhothai influence in its uniformly long fingers, combined with Ayutthaya-style robes.

In the northwestern section of the temple grounds lies a cluster of whitewashed mausoleums. These structures serve as the final resting place for the cremation ashes of members of the royal family of Chiang Mai, a practice consolidated in the early 20th century under the initiative of Princess Dara Rasmi.