Description
Wat Kok Som Hong (วัดกกส้มโฮง) is a relatively new rural temple in Sakon Nakhon, still under development, so there isn't too much here in the way of statues and interesting architecture. Inside the Viharn there is a nice row of Buddha statues on the platform where the monks sit, deliver talks, and accept food in their alms bowls.
In the parking lot, you'll find a very nicely done statue of the Buddha with an umbrella and walking stick, next to which is a white Naga statue in a small pond. One unusual thing to see is the rabbit statues in the pond where the Naga sits. Rabbits or hare statues are not often seen at Sakon Nakhon temples.
In Sakon Nakhon, there is a commingling of both Buddhism and Hinduism at temples. And there is actually an old Hindu Buddhist legend where the hare/rabbit appears. It is said that said that the Buddha disguised himself as a hare and threw himself into a fire, as sacrifice to the god Indra. Indra, in turn, rewarded the Buddha by giving him eternal life as the moon.
Wat Kok Som Hong is located only 1.5 kilometers from Wat Ban Lao Po Daeng, and only about a kilometer west of the southernmost point of Nong Han lake.
