Wat Seluang

Note: I have visited many Siam temples in Kedah here as well as some in Thailand, you can see them all in forum thread by follow the link here (required login), but previously i take photo using DC, this is the recent visit with photo taken using DSLR camera, which is the reason why i post in this photography blog.

Today introducing Wat Seluang, this temple located in Baling, Kedah, but not very deep inside Baling, just about 30KM from SP.

The temple situated deep inside palm oil estate, i mean really deep, you have to drive through a long and narrow road surrounding by palm trees, very quiet, kinda dark. nothing else beside a road and lot of palm trees. When you drive in this kind of terrain you will have 2 kind of feelings, first is you feel like its getting no where, it will lead you to a dead end, second feeling is you will be excited to explore out what is been waiting for you in the edge of the road, mine was second feeling, as always. I enjoy the tranquility and view of mother nature, you can see some animals along the road, such as bird, cow, monkey, etc, you wont be alone.









山穷水尽疑无路，柳岸花明又一村 best described the situation, at the end of the road a small temple gate open its arm to welcome me, i drive through temple gate and infront of me is a very magnificent building.









Very quiet there, not surprise at all because this temple is too remote, id be shocked and rub my eyes if i saw many "people" there, lol, you know what i mean. Didnt see any monk there, instead of going inside to find out the abbot of this temple i walk to the back of that big building because i saw an old man with another young guy is laying there in their car. I guess there are regular here, so i node to them and ask the old man if the abbot of this temple is around, the old man is very kind to help me out, explain lot of things to me and tell me the name of the abbot.

According to that nice old man, this temple was existed long time ago. When he was around 20s he started to visit this temple, he said the old abbot was a very powerful monk, at that time a malay boy tried to steal something in this temple but cant walk out the area of temple, also a broken woman seek the help from the old abbot and later became very rich. The former old abbot named LP Dam (or LP Nam) passed away in year 1969.

Temple area very small, no Ubosot and currently there are 5 monks in this temple. But i see no one there except been told by that old man the abbot is resting in this room.





The old man lead me to the place where the abbot resting. We stay outside and wait for him. You can see an amulet counter there with lot of amulets from other temple, photo and poster of Kruba Krissana and LP Kloy HPY also can be found there, must be brought in by other people or the abbot himself.















We wait outside of his room, we talk slowly try not to interrupt him, who knows what will happen if he find us interrupting his afternoon rest, cause i never met the abbot before. Then the other young guy came to sit with us, he is the son of the old man. I saw he use walkie talkie, i thought he is a tow guy, he smile and said no, they from Pendang and he is volunteer fireman, the walkie talkie is for emergency contact. Surprisingly he also know the DJ of Wat Sungai Siput, who is also a volunteer fireman in Pendang town. According to them, the abbot name is Archan Nan, from Northern Thailand and been here for 9 years already, a very nice and friendly abbot. I asked them if he made any amulet or takrut, they said they dont know, but he is good at floral bath, sometimes devotee from far will come here to ask for floral bath, the young guy said he once asked the abbot to spread holy water to his car and next day plate number hit 4d, win a small fortune. We chat alot, young guy said sometimes we have to see if we have fate with which temple, if we have no fate no matter how hard we try we will not received any improvement. Since he is so talkactive so i try to ask him if he know any other temple which is powerful, he then asked me if i visited Chao Kun Nam before, i said yes, he said Chao Kun Nam not simply meet people, you have to have fate with him, he said his father (that old man) and his cousin is very closed to Chao Kun Nam, they are very few people who can enter Chao Kun Nam room. So i asked if they got any earlier bath of Chan Kun Nam sacred item especially his takrut, he said no, they are not interested into collecting sacred item. He said CK Nam is a very wealth man, possessed lot of paddy land and he is king of katha, can chant any katha without referring to the book, well the same i heard before from the amulet shop owner in Alor Setar here.

After a while the abbot awake, he sit down with us and smoke cigarette. He looks very friendly, age around 60s. He cannot speak hokkien, so i have to ask the help from that old man to translate. He said he didnt made any sacred item, i asked what about takrut, he then took out a colorful takrut from his room and offer to me at RM150, said it was takrut from LP Dom (not very sure, cant hear clearly), takrut look very old, but i passed because i just want the takrut or amulet from him as souvenir. I told him i want something that belong to this temple, he gave me the car hanger for free, said it was created by former abbot, and then he go inside his room and took out the amulet that also created by former old abbot long time ago before he pass away, as shown in poster above. I rent the bronze 1 at RM39 and he gave me free the gold color 1.













He then chant the amulets for me. He dressed up and sit infront of Buddha statue, chant very long and follow by spread holy water.











Young man said he was a forest monk, if not mistaken. I like this abbot, too bad cant communicate. After im done few more people came, i walk out and take the photo around. Old man lead me to the tomb of former abbot, photo as below.







I pay homage infront of it to show respect and inform him that i rented his amulet. Some small temple and statue in this temple.







Simply snap around before i left, training my photography skill, lol, hopefully it is not too bad.







I leave around 3:30pm, heading to another temple. Saw few monkey play on the group, stopped the car and try to take the photo of it, they seems to be camera shy, can you find the monkey?



This temple is worth visit, if you have time and would like to experience peaceful outskirts.

Wat Seluang
Address: Kg. Tanah Lincin, Mk. Teloi Kanan, 08000 Baling, Kedah
Telephone: 04-4160793
GPS key in: Wat Seluang


Note: I have visited many Siam temples in Kedah here as well as some in Thailand, you can see them all in forum thread by follow the link here (required login), but previously i take photo using DC, this is the recent visit with photo taken using DSLR camera, which is the reason why i post in this photography blog.

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Posted in: siamtemple