Wat Sop Pong

Rating: 4.6/5 (5 votes)

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

Wat Sop Pong Attractions in Mae Hong Son Sop Pong, Pang Mapha, Mae Hong Son. The temple is under the jurisdiction of the Mahanikai Order and the land area where the temple is located is 7 rai, 3 ngan, and 2 square wah. The temple buildings include an ordination hall (viharn), an assembly hall (sala karampian), monks' quarters (kuti song), a meditation hall, a merit-making hall, a kitchen, and a bell tower. The sacred objects include a Buddha image.

 

Wat Sappong (Mina Nan) was established in 1936 (B.E. 2479) by a group of police officers from the Pang Ma Pa police station. Later, around 1944 (B.E. 2487), the police station was relocated, and the land was developed for a new police housing complex. The new temple was also built, and Phra Muling from Wat Mae La Na was invited to reside there as the first abbot.

 

In 1969 (B.E. 2512), the police station was again moved, this time to the village of Sappong due to annual flooding, and the original temple at Pang Ma Pa was dismantled and relocated to Sappong. This new site was made possible through the donation of 1 plot of land by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phin Nakhonoi, and the temple was renamed from Wat Pang Ma Pa to Wat Sappong (Mina Nan).

 

The management and leadership of the temple have included the following abbots: Phra Jing (B.E. 2512 - 2519), Phra Upla (B.E. 2519 - 2523), Phra Ai (B.E. 2523 - 2524), Phra Mee (B.E. 2524 - 2525), Phra Chai Yi (B.E. 2525 - 2526), Phra Sujin Yatiko (B.E. 2526 - 2527), Phra Kamol (B.E. 2527 - 2528), Phra Bun Yen (B.E. 2528 - 2529), Phra Bun Lert (B.E. 2529 - 2530), Phra Sujinta Yatiko (B.E. 2530 - 2532), Phra Niroj Suthiyano (acting abbot from B.E. 2533 onwards), and Phra Bun Mee (B.E. 2537 - 2539).

 

Currently, the abbot of Wat Sappong is Phra Kru Anurak Bun Khet. The temple also has a religious school, the Phra Pali Dharma School, which began offering classes in 1987 (B.E. 2530).