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Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong

 
Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong

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Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong



 
 
Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong (also known as Wat Phra That Doi Jom Thong) is located in Nakhon Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai

Mueang Chiang Rai is a city in Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Province, a northernmost Changwat of Thailand....
, Amphoe Mueang
Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai

Mueang Chiang Rai is the capital district of Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand....
, Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai Province

Chiang Rai is the northernmost Provinces of Thailand of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao Province, Lampang Province and Chiang Mai Province....
, Thailand
Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
.

History
Doi Chom Thong has undoubtedly been a sacred site for a very long time. The site was surely reverenced as the home of local spirits before Buddhism arrived in the area.






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Jt01
Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong (also known as Wat Phra That Doi Jom Thong) is located in Nakhon Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai

Mueang Chiang Rai is a city in Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Province, a northernmost Changwat of Thailand....
, Amphoe Mueang
Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai

Mueang Chiang Rai is the capital district of Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand....
, Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai Province

Chiang Rai is the northernmost Provinces of Thailand of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao Province, Lampang Province and Chiang Mai Province....
, Thailand
Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
.

History


Doi Chom Thong has undoubtedly been a sacred site for a very long time. The site was surely reverenced as the home of local spirits before Buddhism arrived in the area. As in many Thai wats Spirit Houses coexist happily with the newer Buddhist shrines. Elephants are part of the lore of Doi Chom Thong. Paw Kuhn Meng Rai was said to have been following an elephant that had wandered off when he first came upon Doi Chom Thong, a solitary hill on the banks of the River Kok.

There is a “Chedi” or “Golden Pagoda of Stupa” located in the center of the temple. The Chedi is the focal point of the temple. The Chedi was constructed with a mixture of Bhu-kam (ancient Burma) and Lanna style. It is around 14 meters high, the lotus-petal base, the body, the bell, the top part of the Chedi were decorated with a gold foil.

According to the Yonok Chronicle, the That or Chedi was originally built in the year 940
940

Events...
 during the reign of Phraya Ruen Kaew, Prince of Chiang Rai, to house the Lord Buddha's relics.

Those relics were originally acquired by Prince Pangkaraj of Yonok Nakpan, who divided them into three parts for the three temples of Wat Phra That Doi Tung, Wat Phra That Chomkitti, and Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong, respectively.

Later, in 1260, King Mengrai
Mengrai

King Mangrai was the 25th King of Ngoen Yang and the first King of Chiang Mai , capital of the Lanna Kingdom ....
 was said to have visited Doi Chom Thong where he viewed the surrounding area and found it suitable for the establishment of a city. He then ordered the beginning of the construction of the city of Chiang Rai and had Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong restored.

In 1992 (B.E. 2535) the City Pillar
Lak Mueang

A Lak Mueang or City pillar is found in most cities of Thailand. Usually housed in a shrine which is also believed to house the Tutelary deity, Chao Pho Lak Meuang , it is held in high esteem by the citizen of the town....
 was moved from Wat Klang Wiang to Doi Chom Thong where it is known as Sadu Meuang (TH: ??????????), the Navel or Omphalos
Omphalos

An omphalos is an ancient religious stone Artifact , or baetylus. In Greek language, the word omphalos means "navel" . According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out two eagles to fly across the world to meet at its center, the "navel" of the world....
 of the City.

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