Wat Naxao Sukharaam (ວັດນາຊາວສຸຂາຣາມ) is a serene Theravada Buddhist temple located in the tranquil village of Naxao (ນາຊາວ) in Khwaeng Luang Pha Bang (ແຂວງຫຼວງພະບາງ), a province in northern Laos, approximately 27 kilometres from its capital city of the same name, Luang Pha Bang (ຫຼວງພະບາງ), commonly transcribed in English as Luang Prabang and formerly the capital of the Lan Xang or Lan Chang (ລ້ານຊ້າງ) Kingdom, an ancient Laotian kingdom founded in 1354 by Fa Ngum (ຟ້າງຸ້ມ) and one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia, extending from the borders of China to Sambour (សំបូរ), in presentday Cambodia, below the Mekhong rapids at Koh Khong (ເກົ້າຂອງ) or Khong (ຂອງ) Islands in what today is Laos, and from the Vietnamese border to the western escarpment of the Korat (โคราช) Plateau in modern Thailand. The Kingdom's name, which means ‘A Million Elephants’, was a reference to this vast area, as well as to its formidable war machine. The temple features a Maha Bodhi (महाबोधि)-style pagoda, symbolizing the ‘Great Enlightenment’ or ‘Great Awakening’, modelled after the original stupa at Bodh Gaya (बोध गया) in Bihar (बिहार) State, North India, where the Buddha attained Enlightenment or bodh (बोध), near the town of Gaya (गया). This pagoda, constructed in the sikhara (शिखर)-style, is a truncated pyramidal structure, typically topped with an amalaka (आमलक), a circular, decorative, ribbed ornament found on the summit of northern-style Hindu temples, and crowned with a spire. Adjacent to this pagoda is an edifice featuring a raised platform with a rectangular pedestal supported by four pillars with lotus-shaped cornices. Atop this pedestal are two golden rocks, one stacked on the other, with the uppermost rock topped by a stupa, reminiscent of the Golden Rock at Mount Kyaihtiyo (ကျိုက်ထီးရိုး, ကျာ်သိယဵု) in Myanmar's Mon (မွန်) State. The outer walls of the temple's prayer hall are adorned with murals depicting stories from the life of the Buddha, as well as the Totsachat (ທົດສະຊາດ), representing the last ten incarnations or lives of the Buddha before his final birth as Prince Siddhartha. These murals are part of the Jataka (जातक) tales, which narrate a total of 550 incarnations that every soul must undergo before achieving Buddhahood. Opposite this, there's a spacious assembly hall, accessible from the front via stairs flanked by guardian lions, or from the side through a ramp adorned with a naga balustrade. Inside, it features an altar with various Buddha statues, several large gongs, and an ornate gilded pavilion throne, referred to as a banlang kheuonthi (ບັນລັງເຄື່ອນທີ່), the Lao equivallent for the Thai busabok (บุษบก), which comprises a square, open structure intricately carved from wood, supported by four posts that uphold a tapering roof crowned with a spire. The term Sukharaam (ສຸຂາຣາມ) can be broken down into two parts: sukha (ສຸຂາ), which means ‘happiness’ or ‘well-being’, and aaraam (າຣາມ), which means ‘temple’ or ‘monastery’. So, Sukharaam essentially means ‘Temple of Happiness’ or ‘Monastery of Well-being’. Wat (ວັດ) is another word for ‘temple’ or ‘monastery’, and Naxao (ນາຊາວ) is the name of the village. The name of the temple may hence be translated to ‘Naxao Temple of Happiness’ or ‘Naxao Monastery of Well-being’. In Thai, this temple is referred to as Wat Nasaaw Sukharaam (วัดนาซาวสุขาราม). 回