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 a high tower that is encircled by a winding staircase in the form of a hollow dragon. 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