Description
Wat Somyot Charoen Tham (วัดสมยศเจริญธรรม) is a village temple about 20 minutes from Sakon Nakhon city and 15 minutes from the Buddhist tourist attraction Wat Tham Pha Daen. It's just a few minutes detour off the main road (Route 2339) that goes to Wat Tham Pha Daen, and just down the road from the rural Isaan temple Wat Ban Bon.
The most distinctive aspect of Wat Somyot Charoen Tham is its congregation pavilion. Like several temple pavilions in the Sakon Nakhon countryside, such as Wat Kham Thao Don Mu, the pavilion has sai sin (holy threads) stretched across the ceiling area. They are attached to the hands of the three main Buddha statues in the room and enhance the blessings delivered by the monks to all who have gathered under the sacred threads.
What makes the Wat Somyot Charoen Tham pavilion different is that from these sai yin threads are hanging beautiful woven ornaments, which were handmade by the villagers. In addition, the poles of the pavilion are wrapped with handwoven, traditional Isaan fabric.
Wat Somyot Charoen Tham also has a unique statue of the Buddha with walking stick. The facial features, hair, robe coloring, and umbrella design, are all different from the other statues we have seen at Sakon Nakhon temples. If you decide to visit, be sure to also check out the nearby Kiang Din Coffee Bar. They are temporarily closed, but you can check out their Facebook page to see if they have opened up again.
