Description
Wat Pa Si Wicha Phawana Putto is a small, village temple, just down the road from Wat Pha Nao on Route 2339, not far from Sakon Nakhon city. It's the same road you'll be traveling if you visit the Indigo clothing shop KramSakon. The most unique thing about this temple, in the way of sculpture, is the large elephant statue. This is the first temple that we have come across with a large elephant statue, which seems a little strange, considering wild elephants do live in the Phu Phan National Park.
The elephant statue is to the right of a tall, well-manicured bamboo patch. It's wearing a traditional Thai head covering and carrying closed lotus flowers. Near the elephant is a statue of a pink Ganesha, and to the left of the bamboo patch is a seated statue of a hermit monk inside a cave, whose beard is black, rather than the usual white or grey beard found on most hermit monk statues.
Wat Pa Si Wicha Phawana Putto also has a statue of what is called "The Sunday Buddha" in Thai culture. This Buddha posture consists of a Buddha standing with his hands lowered and placed across each other, the right hand always covering the left. This pose represents a period soon after the Buddha obtained enlightenment, when he stood for 7 consecutive days in front of a Bodhi tree without blinking an eye.
