Description
Wat Na Weng (วัดนาเวง), also known as Wat Pa Santhitam (วัดป่าสันติธรรม), is a small forest temple in Sakon Nakhon city. If you try to look up the temple name Wat Pa Santhitam on Google Maps, you are only going to see some nearby shop houses, and no temple reviews. But if you search the name Wat Na Weng, you'll see a full map listing for this lovely forest temple, which offers a shady walk when visiting the city.
Wat Na Weng is unique from many other forest temples in Sakon Nakhon in that it has several old, giant Kapok (Kayu) trees growing on the temple grounds. These Kapok tress aren't as old and big as the giant Sakon Nakhon trees in the Phu Phan mountain village of Ban Bua, but they are quite old and tall, and thus worth visiting.
Wat Na Weng's forest grounds are quite well tended to, with the authorities occasionally organizing volunteer activities to clean the forest floor, such as one which was recently organized in April (2022) in celebration of the birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
There is a beautiful, old gated archway, decorated with Buddhist angels, that lead to the forest grounds. Both names of the temple are on the archway: Wat Pa Santhita (วัดป่าสันติธรรม) and Wat Na Weng (วัดนาเวง). As you walk around the forest, you'll discover a beautiful Ubosot situated in the center. The temple also has an active crematorium, and serves many locals who have passed on to the other side.
