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Wat Kiriwongkaram |
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วัดคีรีวงการาม |
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Wat Kiri Wongkaram is one of the many temples in Koh Samui that
is not of any particular historical value. It is famous cuz it
has one of the mummified monks. It is believed that this one is
the oldest.
Besides this mummified monk on Koh Samui there is
a mummy in Wat Kunaram (the most famous one), and also there is
a mummy, which many believe, not without a reason believe to be
a wax doll, at Laem Sor Pagoda - it is placed in a separate
building with glass walls, in a special glass sarcophagus
mounted on a boat and surrounded by dozens of ship models.
Wat Kiri Wongkaram translates as "Mountain Temple", and the
temple is located near the Elephant Gate in the village of
Taling Ngam. Near the temple there is a lovely beach with a view
of the Five Islands.
Wat Kiri Wongkaram was founded in 1900.
The current rector named Pra Maha Jarn-Ruan was born on Koh
Samui in 1935 and at age 17 became a monk.
The mummified monk
was named Thummo, but after his death, he was renamed Loung Por
Ruam. Khun Thummo was born in this very village of Taling Ngam
in 1879. At age 21, he became a monk, soon after that he made a
pilgrimage to Burma, where he studied ancient Buddhist
practices.
He died on January 9, 1966 at the age of 87, after
returning to Samui. His body became mummified in a natural way,
without the use of embalming, after 66 years of life as a monk
and the regular practice of meditation. Local monks claim that
the mummy is still growing hair and nails, which are used to
produce amulets. The mummy of the monk is placed in a glass
sarcophagus in a building with elephant figurines at the
entrance..
Wat Kiri Wongkaram has very quiet and calm
atmosphere. Entrance is free here, as in all other temples of
Koh Samui. At the temple territory there is a Buddhist cemetery.
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Surat Thani |
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Ko Samui |
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Taling
Ngam |
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na |
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Coordinates: |
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9.456241 N |
99.935747 E |
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