Wat Saam Phraan (วัดสามพราน)

Thai. ‘Temple of the Three Hunters’. Name of a Buddhist temple in Nakhon Pathom and named after the tambon Saam Phraan (fig.), as well as the amphur of the same name, in which it is located. The temple features an eighty high tower that is encircled by a winding staircase in the form of a hollow dragon, and whose height represents the Buddha's age at the time of his death or Parinirvana. By entering the belly of the beast through the mouth of a Rahu-shaped gate (fig.), visitors can climb to the rooftop, from which an eye-bird's view reveals most of the structures of the temple's compound and offers a panoramic view of the wider area. The compound includes a giant mythological turtle, possibly Kurma, which can be entered through its open mouth, which doubles as a bridge, allowing visitors to access to the dome-shaped hall formed by its carapace. The path inside its twisting tunnel-shaped tail leads to a small subterranean pond with a stone Buddhapada, i.e. a Footprint of the Buddha, which protected by a naga, and exits into a small park that features a White Elephant and a bridge featuring nagas with multiple heads (fig.), while the entrance of the main wihaan, located between the giant turtle and the dragon tower, is guarded by a huge peacock. See also TRAVEL PICTURES (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (9), and MAP. 回