King Tilokarat built Wat Jet Yod in 1477 when he hosted the Eighth
World Buddhist Council which was convened to purify the scriptures
and to revise the Tripitaka (the Buddhist canon and teachings)
- the results of the conference have unfortunately been lost.
A visit is a must for all Buddhists who come to chiangmai.
The temple is unlike any other in Chiang Mai, being
of a peculiar Indian design. The seven chedi (Jet
Yod) stand on a substantial laterite base in which
there is an arched cave containing a Buddha image.
The most interesting feature of the temple is the
series of seventy, much damaged, but still very beautiful,
stucco thewadas (celestial beings) that decorate
the walls of the base. Their intricate clothes and
jewelry and their lovely smiling faces are Lanna
art at its finest.
The grounds of the temple are tranquil and spacious,
shaded by many old trees. There are three other chedi
in the compound one of which contains the remains
of KingTilokarat
