Stories tagged with suthep
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Doi Suthep temple Chedi under restoration
Chiang Mai’s biggest tourist attraction, the famous golden chedi amid Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, is once again undertaking emergency restoration work to prevent it from possible collapse.
The chedi is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha and is under constant attack from high levels of moisture caused by high humidity, despite its lofty location.
The renovation work, which began on June 4, is being lead by Chiang Mai University Fine Arts Department expert Rung Juntabun, a traditional Lanna style architect. The idea is to temporarily remove the top of the chedi for safe keeping and then place a series of drainage pipes within the structure.
The work is expected to take about six months and will cost somewhere in the region of 6.6 million baht. The government is footing the bill.
The Chedi has seen various attempts at restoration in the past, some successful and others of no use at all, even causing more harm than good. The central base of the chedi was renovated in 1992 along with the strengthening of the grand terrace’s foundations.
The site was again worked on in 1998 when iron rods were installed into the lime and brick pagoda, which in turn caused even more damage due to swelling. The excessive humidity in the structure was also realized to be causing damage in 2004 owing to the brass and gold cladding of the chedi trapping in heat and humidity.
In addition, water seeps in through cracks during rain to exacerbate the situation. With a bit of luck, this will be the last attempt at sorting out the chedi for some time.
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Posted by: Andrew on 13 Jul 2008, 16:42