Description
Wat Ophat Thama Nimit (วัดโอภาสธรรมานิมิต) is a Sakon Nakhon temple in Tambon That Na Weng. It has a gorgeous staging area for its sacred Buddhist statues. Placed directly in front of the red-roofed Viharn is a round cement stage that is encircled by two long Naga serpents. One sees many Naga statues when visiting Sakon Nakhon temples, but these two are quite memorable for their fierce heads (one gold and one red), and their long bodies — one tail wrapping around a statue of the Buddha with walking stick, and another tail encircling a Buddha statue holding an alms bowl.
In the center of the stage is a large, white Buddha sitting on a gold lotus, displaying the pose that occurred just after his enlightenment. To his right (and just behind) is a gold Buddha in the meditation pose, and to the left a Buddha in the teaching pose. So, all in all, there is on display a tableau of 5 Buddhas, guarded by the Naga serpents who protected him on his journey to enlightenment.
Wat Ophat Thama Nimit could be translated to The Temple of the Brilliant Good Omen. The word "nimit" means "omen" or "sign" in the Thai language, and is a term that you will see used in the name of many temples throughout Thailand. In Sakon Nakhon, the most famous "nimit" (or omen) temple is Wat Pa Nak Nimit, which can be translated to The Forest Temple of the Naga Omen.
Wat Ophat Thama Nimit is located just down the road from the Sakon Nakhon airport, and just before (on the opposite side of the road) Wat Thep Kanyaram, which has a stunning 9-headed Naga statue.
