I am developping a CD-ROM containing detailed data and photos of all Buddhist temples (called wat) in the old city of Chiang Mai, Thailand.
This website gives an impression what the CD-ROM will look like.
All together there will be 2750 large photos, contained in "photo albums".
Also an equal amount of photos of a much smaller size will accompany a detailed description of each wat.
Another 1200 photos will be shown in feature comparing pages, like "all entrances".
You have questions or suggestions? Please use the Contact form below.
If there is 'a market' for the CD-ROM, I could also make a high resolution version on a DVD disk.
The old city of Chiang Mai is an area, enclosed by the city walls and a moat, measuring 1600x1600 meters.
There are 37 "complete" wats (a compound, surrounded by a wall, having several religious buildings as well as monastery buildings) in this city area.
One more, but "incomplete" wat is Wat Inthakin (also known as Wat Sadeu Muang) which used to be the site of the city pilar.
And one more again is located on he premises of the Yuparaj Wittayalai school.
Some alone standing chedi's indicate sites where wats have disappeared.
Sometimes the site of such a chedi becomes a wat again, as was the case with Wat Jedlin (also known as Wat Nong Jarin).
A very special occasion in January 2010 was the cremation of Chan Kusalo, the abbot of Wat Chedi Luang.
He was also Patriarch-Abbot (regional chief monk) of Northern Thailand.
He died July 2008, but his cremation was delayed until January 2010.
For a monk of his importance, the King personally decides about the cremation date.
Only members of the Thai Royal Family and high ranking monks are allowed to be cremated on a funeral pyre.
For Chan Kusalo a large bird (the mythical Hamsa, a goose like bird) with an elephant head was build to serve as funeral pyre.