Wat Sangkatan

Wat Sangkatan is an old temple. It is assumed that it used to be called Wat Sarikho. It was built near the end of the Ayutthaya Era. In the past, it was an abandoned temple located in the middle of local orchard with only one ancient cement Buddha image called “Laung Pho Toh,” an image in a cross-legged sitting Subduing Mara posture, in U Thong style, inside the old wooden Sala. Even the temple was abandoned, local people and people who live nearby still came to pay respect to Laung Pho Toh. This made local people have to ask monks from temples nearby to come to the temple for Sangkatan ceremony (offering food and necessary things for monks.) Therefore, people have been calling this temple “Wat Sangkatan” since then. Luang Pho Sanong Katapoonyo is the first monk who found this temple in 1968. He considered that the temple was suitable for Buddhist teaching and meditation. He came back again in 1974 and cooperated with novices and local people renovating “Laung Pho Tor” image in the next year. In 1993, he ordered to remove the old Sala where Laung Pho Tor exhibited in order to build a new Main Hall of the temple, the current hall that is in use nowadays, to replace it. This Main Hall made of glass has been built for one and a half years. It consists of two storeys. The upper floor is used for ordination and area for praying and meditation. The ground floor is a room for donation and library. The temple is designed to be a forest temple with nature surrounding all over the place. Monks’ houses are different from ones at other temples as they are in the shape of a boat. The temple also has project for women’s ordination (Nekkamma) The principle ceremony of Wat Sangkatan is the offering food to monks ceremony in the morning on weekends. There are large numbers of Buddhist joining the ceremony and eating afterwards before participating in Dhamma mediation as interested.Wat Sangkatan is located at 100/1 Bang Pai Noi Village, Moo 3, Bang Pai Sub-district, Maung District, Nonthaburi. For contact, call 02-447-0799, 02-447-2363. If you travel by car, you can use Rattanatibet Road and cross the Rama 5 Bridge. In the left, you will see the temple’s sign. If you travel by ferry, go from Nonthaburi pier to Bang Sri Muang pier and grab a taxi to go to the temple.