Seen above: A well preserved lintel with carved face of Kala, from an 11th century temple in Thailand (about the same time Phra That Dum was built). The demon-like figure Kala (กาล) is found in ancient Khmer temple art and Hindu-Buddhist iconography throughout Southeast Asia. However, it is one of the lesser known mythological figures […]
Wat Phra That Dum (วัดพระธาตุดุม) is a Sakon Nakhon temple complex that contains the ancient ruins of the Khmer era stupa Phra That Dum. Around 1000 years old, it is one of several ancient Khmer ruins in Sakon Nakhon province — the most famous one being the mountaintop ruins of Phra That Phu Phek. New […]
Thai culture is filled with supernatural spirits or ghosts, such as Nang Tani (the spirit who haunts wild banana trees) and the cannibalistic Phi Pop who will eat your internal organs with glee. These spirits are part of Thai folklore rather than Buddhist traditions, thus you’ll rarely, if ever, see one depicted inside a Thai […]