With a name like that it was hard to ignore. The Sanctuary of Truth. I know, it sounds like a mystical place in a fantasy movie where the hero must go to confront his/her fears and misconceptions about the very nature of reality. Well, it may not have been exactly that but aside from some incredible street food, it was probably the coolest thing we saw in Pattaya, Thailand.
How does one temple manage to stand out in a land littered with gorgeous temples? This one is truly unique. A wealthy Thai began construction on this temple in the early 1980’s. It is constructed entirely of wood, using traditional woodcarving and fastening techniques. There are no nails or screws or other modern metal fasteners and no modern machinery has been used.
The story is that he was concerned that the ancient traditional skills would be lost forever so he recruited craftspeople who were interested in learning and set up training programs to teach them these skills and these people have been working on the temple for over thirty years, which isn’t that long compared to many pieces of great religious architecture. It’s still under construction, and I have no idea how long the whole thing is supposed to take, but it’s pretty impressive now.
The structure itself is amazing, and pretty much every part of it, inside and out, is hand sculpted in wood. There are four wings, which, if my understanding is correct, correspond to the spiritual figures and stories of Thailand, India, China, and Cambodia. It is made of countless works of art, small and large, and yet it is an ever evolving singular work of art all together. Sections of it were being worked on while we were there but I wouldn’t say that detracted from the experience. On the contrary, it may have added to it, seeing human beings using their hands to create something so magnificent.
It was difficult to capture the beauty of this place with photos due to it’s size and the intense contrast of the bright outdoor sunlight and the dim interior light but here are a few shots to show some of the different personalities embodied here.
jim@snorkelbandits.com