Sala Keoku: Sculpture Park out of a Dream

This post is dedicated solely to Sala Keoku Sculpture Park, one of the coolest and most surreal places I have ever been.

Sala Keoku is a sculpture park in Nong Khai, located about 6 km (a 15 minute tuktuk ride) from where I live.

This park features over 100 concrete sculptures inspired by a hybrid of Buddhism and Hinduism.

The sculpture park was designed by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a Thai/Lao mystic who lived in the mid- to late-20th century.

Creator Bunleua Sulilat first began a Buddha Sculpture Park project just on the other side of the Mekong River, in the country of Laos.  

 

He abandoned the Laos project during the communist revolution of 1975 and began work on Sala Keoku in Thailand.

The Buddha Sculpture Park in Laos does exist today, though it is said that Sala Keoku has greater proportions and a larger quantity of statues than its Laotian counterpart.

Construction on the park transpired in the late 1970s.

Due to the sculptures being concrete, they are unfortunately predicted to have a relatively short lifespan.  Substantial weathering on the sculptures is already visible only 40 years after their installation.

This statue of Buddha meditating under a seven-headed snake is about 25 meters tall, the equivalent of an 8 story building!  The detail on these pieces are incredible.  I have no idea how they constructed the snakes' tongues so delicately... it looks like something out of a story book.

Each sculpture is unique, detailed, and endowed with meaning.

This eight-pronged wheel of the dharma represents the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration).

The eight-armed, four-sided head represents the wheel of rebirth, the eightfold path, and the karmic law of the universe.

Guard statues surround this center wonder in a circle.

Time for a break from the concrete...

There are two large ponds in the park that are filled with giant catfish.

Visitors can buy loaves of bread and throw in pieces to feed the catfish, causing a feeding frenzy!

These catfish love bread and crowd by the visitor platform whenever they suspect bread slices are soon to come.

I made monk friends by the catfish!  They were curious to talk with me, so we got a couple of photos together and then became Facebook friends.  Highlight of my visit for sure!

What a sweetie!

He sent me this photo he took from his phone later on.

Monks are more active on Facebook than I thought!  Haha!

Back to the sculptures...

Concrete figures short and tall surround the park, even in the most remote corners.



The main, central temple is surrounded by seated perpetual meditators.



These many-armed beings nod to imagery of deities in both Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies.



Dharma wheels with Om symbols at center decorate the bottoms of the feet of Buddha, here depicted in prostrate resting position as he entered final nirvana.

This peaceful, meditative smile reflects a heart at rest.

A happy visitor to a grand land of concrete wonder.

The vivid and pervasive snake imagery was nothing short of inspiring, and, with those very realistic teeth, at least a bit frightening.

Four-faced heads watch over the park in all directions.

Awesome in the truest sense of the word.

Homage to the great enlightened one.



Image of a female enlightened being alongside Budai, the future incarnation of Buddha.



This place is a true dream turned reality.

Thank you for reading this post dedicated to Sala Keoku.  I hope that these photos have imbued you with inspiration and wonder as this place did for me.

More posts of Nong Khai adventures are soon to follow.  Take care, until next time...