Description
Don Tham Priest's Camp Site (สำนักสงฆ์ดอนขาม), also known as Wat Pa Don Tham (วัดป่าดอนขาม), is a charming temple in a secluded, rural area of the Khamin sub-district of Sakon Nakhon. It is located only 700 meters (walking distance) from Wat Pa Ban Khamin, which is home to one of our favorite sculptures of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god.
Wat Pa Don Tham has a number of different Naga statues, but it's most notable sculpture is the large, main Buddha statue, which is housed within a simple, wooden and cement pavilion. This attractive gold statue of the Buddha has unique facial features, including a gentle, friendly smile, as well as a monk's robe and hand shape (gesturing the Vitarka Mudra) that are different that other Buddha images that you'll see in Sakon Nakhon. The Buddha image on a pedestal outside the grounds is similarly interesting.
Don Tham Priest's Camp Site has a resident monk who is quite welcoming to visitors, as is often the case at such hidden away temples in Sakon Nakhon. When we visited, we almost missed the main features of the temple, as sometimes a "priest's camp site" (or monastery) is simply a quiet place of meditation and teaching, without much in the way of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures or paintings on display. However, on seeing us arrive (and almost leave before seeing everything) the monk cheerily waved us into the main grounds.
If you are traveling in this area of Khamin, we would also recommend Wat Wong Sri Daram (วัดวงศ์ศรีดาราม), with its large reclining Buddha and interesting Buddhist and Hindu statues, including mythological figures you are unlikely to see at other temples.
