Wat Nantaram – วัดนันตาราม – is a quite beautiful Tai Yai (Shan-style) temple in Chiang Kham, which is in Phayao province, Thailand. Thailand has so many temples that at times you can get “temple fatigue;” then you come across one such as Wat Nantaram and all fatigue is forgotten.
The road to Chiang Kham
A view along the road
We drove to Chiang Kham from Nan up twisty, windy roads (such as the one to the left) through the hills and mountains. Although it is only 400 or so meters above sea level, it seemed higher. We stopped many times to enjoy beautiful views such as the one above right.
Note: There is a slideshow of all of the images at the bottom of the blog.
Entryway to Wat Nantaram
Celestial being on a pillar
(Click images to see larger version.)
We arrived about mid-day and, after having lunch right next door, we approached the temple compound on foot. Through the gate was a long driveway lined with pillars topped by statues of celestial beings. We lingered a while to take some pictures of these statues.
To the left of the driveway there were a number of Sai trees, popularly known in the U.S. an the cannonball tree, with their lovely blossoms. These trees are often found on temple grounds, for the Buddha was born under a Sai tree, which lowered one of its branches to help support his mother.
The Exterior of the Viharn
Wat Nantaram viharn
The entryway to the viharn
When I first saw the main building, the viharn (sermon hall), it literally took my breath away. It’s a golden teak wood temple in Burmese (Shan) style, with the distinctive roof architecture. It was built in 1925.
In the picture upper left you can see that two singh (mythical lions) flank the entryway as protectors while two (presumably celestial) beings wai (clasp hands in the front) in greeting.
Celestial greeter
Some roofs of the temple
It took us awhile to even enter the viharn. First, the two lovely greeters called out for our attention. Then there were the interlocking roofs to admire along with the lovely juxtaposition of the carved wooden scrollwork on the various roofs with the decorated wooden shutters on the windows.
Close-up of the front
Further detail at the front
We took some time to admire the lovely details of the front, some of which are shown above.
Inside the Viharn
Inside the viharn
Another view of the interior
I found the interior of the viharn to be immensely calm – a sacred space. Dark and somewhat mysterious, there is a feeling of quiet devotion here, of goodness, of peace. There are golden pillars, decorated ceilings and varnished, dark wood floors. The room compels silence and reflection.
The main Buddha image
Close-up of the Buddha statue
The main Buddha image is very appealing. It portrays a younger Buddha with a luminous smile. (Do click on the image to the right to see a larger version.)
Another of the Buddha images
A close-up of the second Buddha
On the left side of the main Buddha image are two Burmese-style Buddha statues. For some reason the Burmese-style Buddhas are often (always?) white. The statue is resting on a lotus blossom and, like the middle image, has a radiant smile.
The statues from the side
Another Buddha statue
In temples I like to walk around the entire area and look at the statues from all angles.
The picture on the left shows the two Buddha statues mentioned above as photographed from the side.
On the right is another one of the Buddha statues, this one found to the right of the central Buddha statue (as you face the altar).
Part of the ceiling
Detail of the ceiling
At any temple in Thailand it pays to look everywhere, even at the ceiling. The ceiling at Wat Nantaram is quite elaborate, as these two pictures of separate details show.
Other Buildings at Wat Nantaram
Other building on the temple grounds
Inside one of the other buildings
We spent quite a bit of time inside the main building (viharn) before exploring the rest of the temple grounds. Above left are two of the other buildings. The picture to the right shows the interior of one of the more interesting remaining buildings.
The altar here has a distinctly Chinese character. It shows three representations of Quanyin, the Goddess of Compassion. In the middle (see picture above right) is a statue of Quanyin in her guise as Avalokiteshvara, a many-armed Bodhisattva personifying perfect compassion and who refrains from entering the bliss of Buddhahood in order to help all beings attain enlightenment. The two flanking statues in back, looking very Chinese, are also representations of Quanyin showing her holding a vase with the dew of compassion.
Close-up of the center statue
Close-up of a wooden carving
On the left is a close-up of the center statue, Quanyin as Avalokiteshvara with her many arms.
To the right is a close-up of the wooden carvings that surround the room.
This temple is definitely worth a special trip from Nan when you are in the region.
Slideshow of Wat Nantaram
Click on “Play” below to begin a slideshow.
Clicking on a slide will take you to the next image.
See also Information on Wat Nantaram (GT Rider Maps) (offsite, opens in new window).
Written by Michael Babcock, May 2014
