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The Naga Staircase of Buddhist Temples
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The Naga staircase of Buddhist Temples in North Thailand
Many Buddhist temples in Thailand are located on the top of a hill or a mountain. Most of them have a Naga staircase lined on both sides with a snake-like being, called Naga. This has its origin in the myth of the Buddha. The Buddha had reached enlightenment and was meditating under a Bodhi tree when it started raining heavily. A snake-like creature appeared. It sheltered the Buddha with its hoods from the rain. This was the Naga called Mucalinda. The Naga is often portrayed with multiple heads.
Each temple has it own characteristic Naga stairway or staircase. Sometimes trees give shade while you walk up to the temple, sometimes not. Walking these stairways is something we enjoy very much. Most temples have a road suitable for vehicles leading to them, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep even has a kind of an elevator. We prefer to walk! In this articles we present our favorite staircases to temples in the North of Thailand. In most cases you will be rewarded with great atmosphere and a fantastic view once you have conquered the stairway.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province
The stairway to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the most famous of all Naga stairways to Buddhist temples in Thailand. Hundreds of thousands of people walk this stairway to the temple that is one of the main attractions of Chiang Mai. It is also the stairway that has an elevator. Besides that, it is the only stairway of which you can find many historical photographs. It is probably also one of the oldest stairways. I walked it many times. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep features in many of our tours such as Amazing Temples of Chiang Mai, the Buffalo Market, Lamphun and Doi Suthep Temple tour and the Chiang Mai Highlights Tour.
Wat Phra Phutthabat Tak Pha, Lamphun province
This temple is south of Lamphun, about 60 kms from Chiang Mai. It gained fame because of the opening scene of the movie Rambo 3 that was shot here. According to a myth the Buddha once stayed here and dried his outer robe on the nearby cliff. There is a footprint of the Buddha on the temple ground and the likely spot where he dried his robe. There are some other interesting statues and buildings at the ground level.
From there you can see the Naga stairway leading up to a chedi called Phrathat Chedi Si Khruba. You can either walk through the living area of the monks to the bottom of the stairs or exit the temple and drive there. The stairs are really impressive but offer no shade at all. Do them early in the morning or late in the afternoon, is our advice. If it’s quiet you might be joined by one of the many cats and dogs that live on the hill. They are very friendly.
Once you are at the top the views are nice. When the weather is clear you will be able to see both Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon, the “roof” of Thailand. As far as I know there is no other place where you watch both these famous mountains.
Wat Phra That Doi Kham, Chiang Mai Province
This Naga staircase is one of our favorite. To reach the staircase you have to hike through the forest for a while. Wat Phra That Doi Kham attracts many people, mainly local worshippers and tourists. Very few people walk up to the temple so it is a wonderful experience to walk up and reach the platform with Buddha statues.
Wat Phra That Doi Hang Bat
This is a seldom visited temple about 20 kilometers outside Chiang Mai. The story goes that the Buddha visited this location and prepared his bowl for the daily round of alms giving. This activity of preparation is known as “Hang Bat”. I passed the hill, on which this small temple is located, often during my bicycle rides. It has a nice Naga staircase through the forest. If you are lucky with the weather the view of Doi Suthep mountain is spectacular.
Wat Analayo Thippayara, Phayao Province
This temple is about 20 kilometers west of Phayao City. It is right across the lake, Kwan Payao, on a mountain called Doi Busarakham. It is an extensive complex with multiple impressive statues and building. The Naga staircase to the main temple complex has a beautiful gate. The stairway itself is not very long but is very wide. It is the one of the few stairways that has trees on the steps. More steps amidst building, statues and pavilliions will take you higher through the forest. You will have walk to the highest point of the temple to get a nice view of Khwan Payao and the city. We only visited the main temple but there are sideroads leading to more statues and sanctuaries.
Wat Phra That Doi Tung
This temple is located high on Doi Tung mountain. Unless you have your own vehicle is not easy to get there. Why is the Naga staircase of Wat Phra That Doi Tung special? It has a long row of bells on both sides of the staircase, which is quite unique. I don’t know any other Naga stairway that has bells. The temple has two chedis that were under repair when I visited. From the temple compound it is a short walk to a spectacular viewpoint. You have to be lucky with the weather though.
Wat Santikhiri, Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai Province
This stairway is not the prettiest but it is still worthwhile walking up. It also not a Naga staircase but it is nevertheless worth walking up. The railings of the stairs are made of steel which is also a bit disappointing. There is enough shade. The Wat Santikhiri is a fairly modern temple and is worth visiting. The best of this stairway is the view over the town Santikhiri and over the surrounding mountains. Also here I recommend an very early morning or late afternoon walk. The temple is located near where the morning market takes place, about halfway the main road that leads through town.
Wat Phra That Khao Noi, Nan Province
The Wat Phrathat Khao Noi is a bit out of town. It is not an old temple. The Naga stairway also doesn’t look very old. On top of the hill there is a small temple and a standing Buddha statue. The view over Nan and surrounding is worth the walk. Of course you can also get to the top by vehicle.
