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Chiangmai - The Old City Monuments 3
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The Emerald Buddha's | The City Pillar - Inthakhin

The City Pillar - Inthakhin
City pillar is located at the centre of the Muang were common to early Tai communities. The phallic looking poles are thought to represent the shoot of a rice plant, and possibly originate from an early fertility cult.

Under Brahmanic influence, city pillars took on added significance through association with the cosmological centre of the universe. In Chiang Mai, the influence of Buddhism is clearly shown by the standing Buddha image placed upon the pedestal of the city pillar itself.

The city pillar is the home of guardian spirits for the city and must be venerated each year. The people of Chiang Mai make offerings of incense, flowers and candles during the Inthakhin festival, to bring prosperity to themselves and the city.

The festival begins with a procession of the Phra Fan Saen Ha Buddha image around the streets. Lanna people believe that a guardian spirit resides in the image, and that bathing the image with lustral water encourages rain.

The Emerald and Jade Buddha's
The Phra Kaew Morakot, better known a Emerald Buddha is made of a single piece of jasper and is Thailand's most revered Buddha image. It now resides in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
According to legend the image was first discovered in Chiang Rai in 1434 when lightning damaged a chedi and revealed a stucco Buddha image inside. The stucco covering later cracked to reveal the Emerald Buddha within.
Due to a wilful elephant that would not take the road to Chiang Mai, the image first went to Lampang and stayed there for 32 years before King Tilokarat brought it to Chiang Mai in 1468. It stayed enshrined in the eastern niche of the Chedi Luang until King Setthathirat, who for a short period ruled the kingdoms of Lanna and Lan Xang, took the image to his capital at Luang Phrabang in 1548.
The image was only to return to Siam when Vientiane fell to Siamese forces in 1778.
The Phra Yok, a solid jade Buddha 70 centimetres tall, now resides in the eastern niche of the chedi. It was commissioned in 1995 for the 600th anniversary of the chedi.