Description
Wat Kham Thao Don Mu (วัดขามเฒ่าดอนหมู) a rural Sakon Nakhon temple about 4 kilometers east of Wat Khu Sanam. The temple has an unusual and curious name, which (if we translated it correctly) is The Temple of the Old Sweet Tamarind of the Pig's Highground. This village temple is notable for its two depictions of Phra Narai (Vishnu) riding the mythical creature known as Garuda. When you enter the temple, you'll see a dilapidated Kuti on the left. Kutis are monk's living quarters, and this abandoned one has a rustic beauty to it, despite it being old and run down (or perhaps because of it).
When you walk into the temple grounds, you'll find a simple Viharn, in which the community and monks gather. On the second floor, there are several statues of the Buddha, with strings attached to them that run across the ceiling of the room. These strings are called sai sin (สายสิญจน์), meaning “holy threads”. Sai ying strings also appear during house blessings and at weddings (where they are tied onto the wrist of the husband and groom by all the attendees, while wishing them good fortune and happiness).
As seen at Wat Kham Thao Don Mu, the sai yin strings often are tied in a grid line and attached to the main Buddha images in the front of the Viharn. The sacred threads are supposed to transfer the blessings of the monks down to all the people who have gathered there. Sometimes these strings will be cut down after a ceremony and tied around the wrists of each person for good luck (as they are at weddings and birthdays). At Wat Somyot Charoen Tham, the villagers have attached beautiful handwoven ornaments to the sai sin, which creates a lovely appearance overhead.
