Butta Bat Bua Bok

Just four kilometres to the south of the
Historical Park is
the somewhat
bizarre temple of
Butta Bat Bua Bok.

The main Taat (reliquary) covers the foot print of Buddha, an amazing 1.5 metres long, said to have been cast during the Lord Buddha's perambulations in ancient times.

Before you start humming the refrain from "Jerusalem", it's worth considering some of the other odd attractions of this place...

Like the Phu Phra Bat Park, it too has an impressive collection of mushroom shaped rocks, one covering what is said to be an ancient well, the bottom of which, some believe, connects to the Maekong River itself through an underground channel.

However, unlike the park, many of those rocks are not exactly in the carefully preserved and pristine condition in which ancient man left them. Here, a fairly liberal amount of concrete has been applied to make the structures resemble some of the more bizarre spirits said to inhabit them!

This Disneyland of rock formations boasts Buddhas caressed by snakes, lions, tigers and all sorts else. Adding to the oddness is a couple of old red fire trucks proudly parked at the back of the temple grounds.

The park seems to have been greatly admired and supported by the Chinese-Thai community. Maybe it's brought luck to their business endeavours, or possibly several of their abbots of the past have been of Chinese descent.

Like some things Chinese (but not all), a sense of haste is apparent amongst all the oddity; a busy-ness which has afforded little time and attention to the process of clearing up and keeping tidy.

However, the Taat (reliquary) is strangely a beautiful contrast, with its handsome lines and its faded pastel shades. One feels that it was built before the Disney era took root.

The gardens leading up to the stupa at the back are pretty with much bougainvillea. And an elegant staircase leads up to a somewhat futuristically designed wiharn (temple hall).

Do not allow my sense of humour to give you the impression that it is not worth making the effort to get here. It is... if nothing else, just to wonder what size shoes the Lord Buddha must have taken!

If you are contemplating going on to the Historical Park from here, it is possible to walk out of the north side along the hills to the Park. However it is a long way, and so it is probably better to try to hitch a lift from the temple to the main entrance of the Park.
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