Wat Jed Yod one of the least visited major temples. Jet Yod translates to "seven peaks" and refers to the seven chedis which top a structure in the temple complex. Its a very unusual for a Thailand temple building. The seven spired square chedi was inspired by designs at Bodhagaya, the site of the Buddha's Enlightenment in north India over 2,500 years ago, and was built by Lanna Thai architects after visiting the holy site. It was built for King Tilokarat in the 15th century as the meeting point to host the Eighth World Buddhist Council. Nobody seems to know the results of the council, but the temple remains. There's an uninviting cave-like hall in the rectangular base of the structure supporting the seven chedi, while a more typical modern Ubosot stands in front of the old monument.
Of more interest is the exterior, on which several sculpted figures survive. Whilst many parts are missing, you can still see some finely detailed figures. The whole is unusually asymmetrical, with the figures on one side seated, while those on the other are standing.
Several other interesting chedis dot the grounds of this rather large temple. An empty platform is directly in front of the entrance to the "cave." Directly behind are two more chedi One of them, presumably the larger, contains the remains of the king who built the temple.
The whole place was rather empty, and this on a weekend when the rest of Chiang Mai was crowded with many Thai and foreign tourists for a long weekend. There weren't even many monks to be seen around the place, though one young novice stood looking at the entrance of the cave. Further on is another chedi, in front of which is a very large ancient platform, which now has a small, obviously modern building on it. Unlike many of Chiang Mai's other large temples, Wat Jed Yod is seldom visited by tourists. Its an interesting and quiet place to spend some time away from the crowds that you'll find in most other places in Chiang Mai.
