Mummified monk on Koh Samui - how many there really are

It just so happened historically that the more exotic an attraction is included in the excursion, the more willingly tourists agree to it. On Koh Samui, a small island, where, in principle, everything did not work out very well with natural beauties, the Thais found a way out and began to make these attractions themselves. One of these features of Samui can be safely called mummified monks. Yes, I was not mistaken - there are two monks, not one. And no, I was not mistaken, there are really two monks, not three.

The content of the article

Mummy at Khunaram Temple

The first and most famous mummy on Koh Samui is located on the territory of the Wat Kunaram temple, which stands on the island's main ring road near the bends to waterfalls Namuang-1 and Namuang-2. Actually, thanks to this very neighborhood, the unremarkable temple has become one of the most visited tourist attractions..

During his lifetime, the mummy was a respected monk of this monastery named Luang Po Deng, whose history can be read on a large brown stand next to the glass booth where the mummy itself sits. In order not to frighten people, the empty eye sockets of the deceased are covered with sunglasses, which has become a non-canonical, but purely Thai invention for such cases. The dead from such an upgrade begin to look like a greyhound, I would say - perky.

On the territory of the temple there is a small souvenir shop, a small cemetery, a very large parking lot around the tree of spirits and there is always one monk, alive, who ties saisins - colored strings of wish fulfillment to tourists. Those that fall off themselves when the desire is fulfilled. Actually, this is all that deserves attention here, and it should be noted that the architecture of the temple does not shine from the word «generally». If it were not for the poor Luang Po, tourists would be incredibly bored here..

Main gate from the side of the ring road

Monk's mummy building

In the center is a glass sarcophagus, and to the right is usually taken by a monk

The main building of the temple is closed

Mummy at Kiri Wongkaram Temple

Wongkaram, unlike its counterpart, is built on the edge of the edge of the world's fringes. That is, you can find it only by accidentally being in this area of ​​Taling Ngam, and this, you yourself understand, does not lead to an unprecedented enrichment of the temple. Temples all exist on donations, and where does the money come from when tourists are transported by the side. Therefore, the temple decided to make money using plagiarism ideas of monks from Khunaram.

In the courtyard of the temple, in the building to the left of the entrance, there is a sanctuary with a glass aquarium, where exactly the same dried-up deceased is seated. Sometimes, on the steps of the sanctuary, one comes across an old Thai man who has nothing to do with the monks and is usually dressed for himself. But his perseverance and smiles allow him to sit down tourists crazed by the exotic, tie saisins on them, bless and accept bills of 20-100 baht in gratitude..

If you refuse him, he will not be offended, but he will turn on a strict Buddhist, and if at least one detail of your wardrobe does not correspond to the dress code, you will have to leave. You can go to the main temple, which in 2017 underwent a major restoration and now should sparkle like new five baht. We couldn't get inside - it was closed.

Kiri Wongkaram Temple after restoration

There is a mummy in this building

Mummified monk number two on Koh Samui

This is how a mummy looks without glasses.

This is how a mummy looks without glasses.

Nothing else interesting on the territory

Strange figure on the balcony

Monk statue with ships

For a while, it was mistakenly believed that the statue of a monk who sits in a glass house near Lam So pagodas - this is also a mummy. But even a blind tourist will be able to distinguish by touch the skin of a corpse stretched around the teeth from a high-quality, very detailed, natural copy of a seated monk. He has wrinkled skin with spots, open eyes, and in general he looks like a completely alive old man. At the same time, it is popular with both tourists and Thais. By the way, some local Thais were also firmly convinced that there was a well-preserved deceased in the boat. In fact, he is just a respected monk, who was carved in stone and who is considered the patron saint of sailors. Offerings to the statue are usually brought by boats - the whole room is filled with them..

The third mummy on Koh Samui, which is not a mummy at all

Information to visit

I will not have any special instructions, except to remind you that temples are a territory of increased attention to what you are wearing. And if you are wearing very little, then you should expect a negative reaction from Thais, who regard such frivolity as an insult and can behave very rudely. And an impolite Thai man is an unpleasant sight, they seem to come off at the opportunity to stop smiling and take away their souls on farangs, especially if there is something for.

The entrance is free until dark, then the entrance is blocked. In the temple, you can ask for an overnight stay for one night, they will not refuse. The size of the donation for the monks has no limits, so you can not throw anything into the tipboxes, and on average people throw 20-100 baht. Monk for saisin - usually give a hundred.

On the map

Three mummies on Koh Samui

Statue of a seated monk with ships:
Temple of Kirivongkaram (Wat Khirivongkaram):
Temple with the mummy of the monk Wat Khunaram:

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