Wat Chedi Luang (วัดเจดีย์หลวง)

Thai. ‘Temple of the Royal Stupa’, sometimes referred to as ‘Temple of the Big Stupa’. Name of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. Its construction started in the 14th century by King Phaya Saen Meuang Ma, with the intention to house the ashes of his father King Phaya Keua Nah (fig.), though construction halted after 10 years, to be continued only after the death of the King, by his widow. Yet, the stupa wasn't finished until the mid 15th century, in the reign of King Phaya Tilokarat (1441-1487 AD). With a height of 82 meters, it was at that time the largest building of the Lan Na Kingdom. From 1468 onward, the eastern niche housed the Emerald Buddha (fig.), until it was moved to Luang Prabang some time after the pinnacle of the structure collapsed in an 1545 earthquake. It is fully known as Wat Chedi Luang Worawihaan and was previously called Wat Chotikaram (วัดโชติการาม). The temple grounds also accommodate the city's Inthakhin or City Pillar (map - fig.). See also MAP, PANORAMA PICTURE, TRAVEL PICTURE (1), (2), (3) and (4), and WATCH VIDEO. 回