Lanna Temple Trails day 5

Wat Jed yod

After I had enjoyed looking at Wat Pa Pao it was about lunchtime. I rushed to Kaew Nawarat Road, which is famous for selling the local delicacy “Khao Chae,” or dry cooked rice eaten with condiments. I had a tasty lunch at the restaurant located opposite Dara Academy School. After that it was time for me to venture outside the city’s walls to find my next destination, Wat Jed Yod, or Wat Mahapotharam, which us situated close to the super highway.

The temple itself was built in the reign of King Tilokkaraj, the 11Th king of the Meng Rai Dynasty. This temple is reputed for its grand pagoda, which is similar to the Pagoda in Bodh Gaya, India. History researchers are still unsure whether the architectural style was copied from Bodhj Gaya or from Myanmer’s Bagan.

Apart from the pagoda’s similarity to Bodh Gaya, the king also designed the temple’s compound to be similar to the place where the Lord Buddha was enlightened by planting many Bodhi trees. That is where the name Wat Mahapotharam cames from, “po” meaning Bodhi tree.

The structures and decorations inside the temple are very interesting so it is quite popular with tourists. The first attraction is the Jed Yod Chedi. Or the ‘seven pagodas chadi’. The outside wall of the chedi features limestone carvings of gods in different positions and activities. Inside the temple there is a stupa housing the ashes of King Tilokkaraj.

The temple’s Mondop”, or the square structure with four arches and a pyramidal roof\, is another thing worth seeing. It is similar to the Haripunchai Era Mondop found in a famous temple in Lampoom province. The architectural design is influenced by the Sukhothai and late Ayutthaya styles.

Wat Jed Yod is also significant because it hosted the 8th World Grand Council to revise the Buddhist Tripitaka, the teachings of the Buddha, which was divided into three parts in 1477. Because the into three parts in 1477. Because the Buddha’s teachings were not written down at the time he was on the earth, his followers in different parts of the world periodically organized grand councils to try to agree on exactly what should be contained in the Tripitaka.

Lanna Temple Trails Day 1
Lanna Temple Trails Day 2 Wat Chiang Man.
Lanna Temple Trails Day 3 Wat pan Tao
Lanna Temple Trails Day 4 Wat Pa pao
Lanna Temple Trails Day 5 Wat Jed yod
Lanna Temple Trails Day 6 Wat U-Mong Therachan

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