Chiang Mai - Wat Chet Yot

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several times, leaving it lacking in any clearly discernible style.

Completed in 1455 the chedi with the seven spires from which the temple takes its name was modeled (though not entirely faithfully) on the Mahabodhi Temple in Buddh Gaya, the small Indian town where Buddha attained enlightenment. Many details, e.g. the decoration on the doors, reflect the Indian original. The tall central spire houses a stucco figure of Buddha, and there is a prayer room beneath. Despite centuries of neglect the surprisingly well-preserved stucco work adorning the walls (depicting deities in various poses) is quite exceptional, the detail in particular being finely executed. Tiloka's ashes are interred in a somewhat smaller square brick stupa erected by his grandson in 1486. In 1477 Wat Chet Yot witnessed a gathering of the Buddhist Council which Tiloka summoned to celebrate the bimillennium of Buddhism. This great event was probably the principal reason for building the temple.