Description
Wat Ban Noi Hua Khu (วัดบ้านน้อยหัวคู) is a beautiful Buddhist temple tucked away in the small village of Ban Noi, about 20 minutes from downtown Sakon Nakhon. There are no road signs to guide your way, but you can find it with Google Maps. While the temple isn't as large and famous as Wat Tham Pha Daen, it has interesting examples of Buddhist architecture and sculpture, as well as paintings of traditional Thai life. One rather a funny scene includes sculptures that demonstrate the hidden truth that many Northeastern Thai Temples have a Sense of Humor.
Wat Noi Hua Khu is carefully tended to by the local villagers, who are always happy to see someone visiting their temple grounds, which are under the Maha Nikaya order, one of the two principal monastic orders in Thailand. Maha Nikaya refers to Theravada monks who are not within the other principal monastic order called Dhammayuttika Nikaya.
After visiting this temple, be sure to swing by Huai Sai Reservoir (อ่างเก็บน้ำห้วยทราย), which is only a couple kilometers away, and one of the best places to walk, run, or ride a bike in Sakon Nakhon.
Note: A local mushroom seller has hijacked this temple listing on Google Maps and changed the Thai name of Wat Ban Noi Hua Khu (วัดบ้านน้อยหัวคู) to Anajak Het Boon Song (อาณาจักรเห็ด บุญส่ง), which translates to something like the Mushroom Kingdom Where Merit is Sent. No merit is being made by doing this, but instead bad karma.