Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Chiangmai Wats - Wat Jet Lin

Location - Phrapokklao Road, Chiang Mai Old City [in the southeastern corner inside the old city walls of Chiang Mai along the southern end of Prapokkloa Road].
Opening Hours - Daily from 04:00 till 18:00
Entrance - Free
Wat Jet Lin is also known as Wat Nong Chalin.
On the right side of the entrance, there is the main viharn [wat/temple] building. Running alongside the viharn are several large black metal gongs which you cane gently hit using the soft mallets and they’ll emanate a wonderful tone.
At the back of the Viharn, there is a nice Chedi that is constructed in the Mondop Style which typically includes a niche on every side of the Chedi where a Buddha image is placed. 
Walk past the Chedi until you get to a lovely ornate little bridge. This is my favourite area of Wat Jetlin. Crossing over the bridge you’ll find a couple of nice seating areas. Below the still lilly filled water has tortoises, carp and slew of birdlife living around it.
The coronation ceremony of King Mekut Sutthiwong took place in this temple in the sixteenth century.
It’s quite bare but still filled with red painted columns, seats around the edges, a tiled floor, a pink carpet at the center lined with soft mats for kneeling on and a large golden buddha at the top.
It’s all quite ornate in a clash of evocative colors way.
Back outside and there’s a little outbuilding that houses a sizable old stone buddha head along with several smaller ornate statues. Among these are large dark stone balls. I’m told that stone balls are often placed under Thai temples in each of the four corners and in cardinal points.

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