Description
If you stand inside the large entrance gate to Wat Santi Sangkharam, you can look straight across the highway and see the smaller entrance gate to the village temple Wat Sa Phang Thong (วัดสระพังทอง), which roughly means "The Pool of Gold Temple". While this Sakon Nakhon temple isn't as impressive as Wat Santi Sangkharam, there is something charming about how these small temples use their funds to create a Buddhist experience for the locals they serve.
The sculptures at Wat Sa Phang Thong are curious and attractive due to the very fact that they aren't worth millions of baht and have been made by the rougher hands of local artisans, such as a small reclining Buddha placed under a tree, appearing not to be on his death bed (as the image represents) but enjoying his time in the shade among wilderness animals, such as a deer and tiger.
In front of the Pavilion is a classic Thai scene of a horned cow flanked by two regally draped elephants, symbolizing the harmony between people, regardless of status. There is also a unique sculpture of Buddha giving a Sarpasirassu or Sarpa Mudra gesture (snake gesture). This very unusual to see in Thailand, and means success without a doubt.
While we were visiting Wat Sa Phang Thong, a local village boy ushered in through the gate a small herd of buffalo through the temple gate, which seemed to capture the charm of small village Thai life.
