Wat Bo Luang

Rating: 3.3/5 (8 votes)

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Wat Bo Luang Bo Kluea Tai, Bo Kluai, Nan. Wat Bo Luang is a royal Buddhist temple of the Mahanikaya sect. It was officially established as a temple in 1826 (B.E. 2369) and was granted the official boundary (Wisungkhamsima) in 1990 (B.E. 2533). The current abbot is Phra Maha Suradet Panyatharo.

 

The temple is located in Moo 1, Ban Bo Kluang, within Bo Kluea Tai Subdistrict, Bo Kluea District, Nan Province. It is the only legally established temple in Bo Kluea District. All other religious sites in the area are designated as monk residences rather than formal temples.

 

Wat Bo Luang is a historic religious site serving a predominantly Buddhist community. Approximately 70% of the population in Bo Kluea District practices Buddhism, while 10% are Christians, 10% follow animism, and another 10% do not adhere to any particular belief system.

 

The temple’s architectural design is unique. It cannot be clearly classified as entirely Buddhist or Christian in style. Unlike most temples where the ordination hall (ubosot) and the viharn (main hall) are combined, Wat Bo Luang keeps these structures separate.

 

The original ordination hall was dismantled, and construction of a new one began in 2003 (B.E. 2546). However, the project remained incomplete even by 2012 (B.E. 2555), due to limited funding, as the local villagers—most of whom have modest incomes—depend on donations to support the building process.

 

Originally, Wat Bo Luang also housed a Buddhist school teaching both secular and religious subjects. However, due to severe flooding in 2011 (B.E. 2554), the school was relocated to a new site in Ban Phak Hueak, Moo 4, Bo Kluea Tai Subdistrict.