Wat Phrathat Muang Kham

Wat Phra That Muang Kham is located in Kluai Pae Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lampang Province, about 17 kilometers from the city center. The temple is situated on a hilltop accessible by a steep staircase of approximately 484 steps. From the top, visitors can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Before reaching the final ascent, there is a large reclining Buddha image enshrined in a pavilion, where devotees often stop to pay their respects.

 

Also known as Wat Doi Muang Kham, the temple is a local monastery of the Maha Nikaya sect, encompassing about 13 rai and 2 ngan of land. The site was originally dense forest and mountainous terrain. It later gained religious significance when the base of an ancient chedi was discovered, aligning with the old legend of the golden-haired dog. The temple was established in 1925 by Phra Khru Rattanasopon (Luang Pho In), the former chief monk of Mae Tha District and abbot of Wat Mueang Sat, in collaboration with Luang Pho Mueang of Wat Tha Nae, a revered monk in Lampang Province. They were supported by other spiritual leaders, such as Phra Khru Suwetkittikhun (Luang Pu Bunchup) of Wat Ko Waralukaram, as well as by laypeople from both Mae Tha and Kluai Pae, along with believers from many regions.

 

Phra Khru Rattanasopon served as acting abbot from 1925 until his passing in 1969, a total of 44 years. The temple was then abandoned for 21 years until 1990, when Phra Athikan Thinphan Thinnavaro from Wat Mueang Sat was appointed abbot and has remained in the position since. The temple hosts an annual water-pouring ceremony for the relic, traditionally held on the 8th waning moon of the 9th month in the Northern Thai lunar calendar. This event includes vibrant celebrations and honors the site’s deep spiritual heritage.

 

Wat Doi Muang Kham is also the origin of a well-known local legend the Tale of the Golden-Haired Dog. According to the story, during the Buddha’s time, the Buddha and 1,500 arahants descended upon the hill via the sky. The Buddha delivered a sermon on the Four Noble Truths to Ananda, other disciples, and a gathering of divine beings including Indra, Brahma, Yama, Garuda, Nagas, and others. When a disciple asked about the history of the hill, the Buddha explained that in the distant past, Buddhas of the current Bhadra-kalpa had practiced enlightenment at this site. The Buddha plucked eight hairs from his head and had them buried in a pit 50 wa deep, marked by a mango branch planted by Vishvakarman at Indra’s instruction. The Buddha prophesied that the site would later be called Doi Muang Kham, and after his passing, his jawbone relic would be enshrined there.

 

The tale of the golden-haired dog begins with a hunter who owned a female dog with golden fur, hence the name Ma Khon Kham. As there were no male dogs in the area, the dog somehow became pregnant. The hunter, fearing public shame, decided to abandon her. His stilt house in the forest had a retractable ladder, which he removed one evening, leaving the dog on the ground hoping a tiger would kill her. Instead, the dog fled to Pha Sam Sao cliff, near Doi Muang Kham, and gave birth to twin girls. She raised them lovingly, stealing food and clothes from villagers to care for them.

 

The girls grew into beautiful women Jettaka the elder and Bua Tong the younger. Their beauty reached the ears of King Phlamma-ghosa, who sent a golden palanquin to bring them to the palace to become his consorts. As they were taken, Bua Tong wept for their mother, while Jettaka was thrilled to become royalty. The king built separate palaces for them. When the dog returned to find her daughters gone, she scratched the cliff in sorrow, leaving claw marks that are said to still be visible. Indra, moved by pity, gave the dog the ability to speak. She journeyed to the palace and eventually reached Jettaka’s residence. When the guards asked her relation to the princess, she replied that Jettaka was once her mistress. Fearing disgrace, Jettaka ordered the guards to beat the dog. The injured dog fled to Bua Tong’s palace, where she was lovingly welcomed and hidden inside a large chest. After seven days, the dog succumbed to her wounds.

 

Indra transformed the dog’s body into precious jewels. When the king discovered this, he favored Bua Tong even more and sent her to retrieve more treasure from the cliff. Grieving her mother’s death, Bua Tong intended to take her own life but landed on a giant suffering from a painful boil. Her fall caused the boil to burst, healing the giant, who then rewarded her with treasures. She returned to the palace and presented them to the king.

 

Jettaka, upon hearing this, grew jealous and asked to retrieve treasure as well. When she jumped from the cliff, the giant, recognizing her bad karma for harming her mother, devoured her and her royal retinue. The site became known as Tok Hua Chang, now a community within Mueang Lampang. The Buddha concluded that the hunter was reborn as Devadatta, the golden-haired dog as Patacara, Bua Tong as Queen Yasodhara, Jettaka as Ciñcā Māṇavikā (who falsely accused the Buddha), and King Phlamma-ghosa as the Buddha himself.

 

This legend has become an integral part of the spiritual heritage of Doi Muang Kham and continues to be remembered by local communities and devotees alike.