Description
Wat Si Rat Trai Phon (วัดศรีราชไตรภรณ์) is a village temple in the Sakon Nakhon district of Phanna Nikhom, about 20 minutes from Sakon Nakhon Rajabhat University. This temple's traditional bell tower (Ho Rakang) displays on the rooftop corners some nice examples of Chofah, curved gold roof ornaments, which represent the Garuda, the half-man, half-bird creature which the Hindu god Vishnu rides and which is the national emblem of Thailand. You'll notice Chofah also appearing on the apex roof points of the temple's most sacred building, called the Ubosot, where monks are ordained.
Wat Si Rat Trai Phon has a beautiful teak pavilion which houses a replica of the Emerald Buddha, known in Thailand as Phra Kaeo Morakot (พระแก้วมรกต). The Emerald Buddha is the most important Buddha statue in Thailand, and you'll find several Sakon Nakhon temples with replicas of this famous statue. When you see a pavilion dedicated to housing the replica, and the replica is placed behind glass, this means that it is an especially expensive and revered replica.
The Emerald Buddha replica at Wat Si Rat Trai Phon is just such a precious replica. It is placed in its glass enclosure along with the branches of ancient sacred tree. Sacred trees have even greater significance in Sakon Nakhon than other areas in Thailand, due to the role its forests played in the founding of the Buddhist forest tradition.
Nearby religious destinations include Pu Don Ho Shrine and Wat Bot Mat Samakee (which is home to a large, white statue of the Buddha).
