Wat Kaek

Wat Kaek is the most unusual temple I've ever visited.  It is a rather daring blend of Hindu and Buddhist elements, resulting in a towering sculpture garden of scenes both familiar and unknown.  Some of the sculptures are beautiful, some are confusing, and some are just plain bizarre.

Giant Buddhas of every size and shape dominate the temple grounds.

This 25 metre high sculpture of a Buddha sitting atop a coiled Naga serpent is one of the most striking images in the temple.

Although many of the images at Wat Kaek portray powerful Hindu deities, there are still plenty of meditative Buddhas dotting the grounds.

These figures have their palms pressed together in the 'wai' pose.  The wai is the graceful Thai greeting, which can also be used as a sign of respect or thanks.  It could be compared to the Japaneses bow, and carries all of the same levels of complexity.  Just as the Japanese vary the depth of their bow according to the status of the person they are interacting with, so the hand position of the wai is higher or lower depending on status.

Ryota and I managed to click off about 40 photos each around Wat Kaek!

The sculptures at Wat Kaek vary in terms of impact and message.  This happy couple serves to remind us of the intransience of life.  It also makes a good subject for meditation if you are losing your way on the path to enlightenment and risk falling victim to lust.

If you're planning a visit to Wat Kaek (and perhaps you should be), you can find it tucked away in the northeastern region of Thailand.  Wat Kaek is just outside of the border town of Nong Khai, which is located on the Thai side of the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge.  Nong Khai has a fair number of pleasant temples and makes a nice place to spend some time.  There are lots of spots to laze about and watch the mighty Mekong river drift by.

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