Description
Wat Siri Mangkla Tao Ngoi (วัดศิริมังคละเต่างอย) is located across the bridge from the popular Sakon Nakhon tourist attraction Praya Tao Ngoi, the large sacred turtle statue. The temple features a tall Chedi of Laotian design that is similar to the famous one at Phra That Phanom in the neighboring province of Nakhon Phanom.
Visiting Wat Siri Mangkla Tao Ngoi reminds one that visiting Sakon Nakhon temples is really like visiting sacred art galleries. Inside the towering Chedi are some brilliant examples of bas-relief murals made up of bronze tiles. These murals show scenes of the Buddha and the former Thai monarch King Bhumibol the Great, who before his death in 2016 was the longest serving monarch in the world (63 years). King Bhumibol was noted for his great kindness and compassion, thus in one mural we see him surrounded by flowers, while in another he is with a villager.
In addition to the Chedi, there is a lovely, ornate pagoda on the grounds, which features on its gable a striking image of a Garuda holding a trident and a serpent. The Garuda is a protector figure with the power to swiftly go anywhere, ever watchful, and an enemy of evil serpents. However, there are good, protector serpents called Naga, as well, and these you will see flanking the sign in the front of the temple.
In addition to the Garuda on the pagoda's gable, you will see a row of bird figures on either side of the roof ridges. These are the mythical Hamsa or Hong, which are celestial swan or goose like birds that can depicted in a number of different ways, but always with a sense of strength and nobility. Hamsa are believed to be the gatekeepers of heaven, as well as the figure which links the oceans with the sun and the heavens.
