Wat Phra That Chom Sak, the "Cat Temple"
Wat Phra That Chom Sak, the “Cat Temple”
The “Cat Temple” Wat Phra That Chom Sak (Wat Woraram) is in Ban Du district, Amphur Muang, Chiang Rai. If you take the bypass road west of Chiang Rai, driving northeast, you will pass Wat Huay Pla Kang. A bit further on your left hand side you will see a gilded temple complex overlooking ricefields on your left hand side. This is Wat Phra That Chom Sak, a lovely and interesting local temple. Many people probably have noticed this temple but never visited. As you see on the Google image the temple compound is a bit oval.
The history of the temple
According to the Tourism Thailand website this temple dates back to the period before the foundation of the Ngoenyang Kingdom in 638, which continued to the formation of the Lanna kingdom in 1292. Its original name was Phra That Doi Ban Yang. Allegedly a monk brought 16 pieces of the Lord Buddha’s relics from Ceylon to King Phangkharat. The king enshrined three portions in Wat Phra That Chom Thong in Chiang Rai, Wat Cham Kitthi in Chiang Saen and Wat Phra That Doi Ban Yang. In 1947 Kruba Khamla Sangwaro initiated the restoration of the temple , which was later renamed Wat Phra That Chom Sak.
Two krubas overlooking ricefields
The temple has a striking Naga staircase with three sections leading to the gilded statues of two Krubas. Kruba is a northern Thai term that refers to a senior monk. The most famous Kruba is Kruba Srivichai. Having reached the top of the staircase I found the gate closed so I had to walk around to the main entrance. After visiting the crowded White (Wat Rong Khun) and Blue (Wat Rong Suea Ten) temples, I found myself alone in this temple. It was wonderful.
The Cats of Wat Phra That Chom Sak
I spent some time at this beautiful temple and chatted with several monks who were about to have a meal and invited me to join. They were clearly surprised and pleased to see a western visitor. I wandered around the temple grounds and played with the adorable cats. There are no dogs at this temple, only cats. I love both dogs and cats but I enjoyed the absence of barking and, sometimes, aggressive dogs at temple grounds.
If you are looking for a genuine Buddhist experience, want to meet monks and love cats, I recommend visiting this beautiful and quiet temple.
