Wat Bang Mafo

The savvy visitor will take advantage of Wat Bang Mafo’s annual temple fair, held on the 9th and 10th crescent-moon nights of October (consult a lunar calendar for this year’s dates.) Here, a stroll through the temple grounds, past the local food stalls and games, will bring you to the most striking aspect of the temple: the main hall, designed by the venerable monk Luang Pho Sun. Its inner walls are painted with murals from Buddhist tales; opposite, the life of the Lord Buddha, as always, half shrouded in legend.The temple’s principal Buddha image is also noteworthy for its unique prop: a palm-leaf fan. Resting beneath the multi-tiered roof is a beautiful replica of the Lord Buddha’s footprintTo get there, take the NakhonSawan-KrokPhra route, about three kilometers from the district office. Note that the route also goes past a handicrafts village in Tambon Dong Chaphlu called Ban Hua Hat, where baskets are woven of bamboo.