Description
Wat Tham Apai Damrongtham (วัดถ้ำอภัยดำรงธรรม), also known as Wat Tham Phuang (วัดถ้ำพวง) is a Sakon Nakhon temple founded by the legendary "Bulletproof" Thai monk Phra Ajahn Wan Uttamo (พระอาจารย์วัน อุตตโม), who once miraculously walked through a hail of gunfire when Thai soldiers mistakenly thought he and his entourage of novice monks were communists terrorists walking through the forest at night.
The story of Wat Tham Apai Damrongtham begins in 1971, when Ajarn Wan Uttamo — also known as Phra Udom Sangvara Wisutthera (พระอุดม สังวรวิสุทธิเถร) — led a group of disciples to build a 5 km road to the top of Phu Pha Lek Mountain where there were caves suitable for the monks to live in. The best cave was called "Tham Phuang" and they built a temple called "Wat Tham Phuang" nearby.
Wat Tham Phuang, which translates to "The Phuang Cave Temple," formally goes by the name Wat Tham Apai Damrongtham, but the shorter name is the one most commonly used by local villagers. Inside the congregation hall (viharn) of the temple, which has a cave sculpture at the main entrance, you'll find a large Buddha image with a 7-headed Naga serpent protecting him.
Thais refer to this kind of statue as the Buddha in the posture of "Nakprok" (นาคปรก), the word "nakprok" meaning a Naga serpent. The sculpture is named Phra Mongkhon Muchalin (พระมงคลมุจลินท์). Muchalinda is the name of the Naga serpent who protected the Buddha from a storm during his enlightenment. To enter the hall properly and see the statue walk left around the Viharn to the cave sculpture entrance, which is opposite the mountain view.
When you arrive at Wat Tham Phuang, you'll first see a small pagoda on the left which has photographs of Ajarn Wan's meetings with King Bhumibol the Great, who highly admired the Sakon Nakhon monk. Then, in front of you, will be seen the beautiful orange and white Ajahn Wan Uttamo Museum pagoda. You must walk down the hillside to right of the museum to get to the Wat Tham Phuang temple area.
After visiting the temple, keep driving around the beautiful and winding cliffside road to visit the nearby sacred Chedis of Phu Pha Lek, including the Siri Maha Maya Chedi, Phra Chedi Si Mahapho, Phra Chedi Sadaeng Pathom Thesana, and Phra Chedi Wihan Pariniphan, all of which have beautiful mountain views of Sakon Nakhon province. Don't forget also to visit the nearby Phu Pha Lek National Park and Pha Dong Ko, which probably have the best views of all.
