- Address: Champasak Province, Laos
- Founded: in the IX century
- Working hours: daily, 8: 00-16: 30
- Cost of visiting: $ 1
In the southern part of Laos in the territory of the province of Champasak there are the ruins of an ancient temple, called Wat Tomo or Oum Muong. It is located in the jungle at the confluence of the rivers Houay Tomo (Hayy Tamfon) and Mekong (Mekong).
Description of sight
The temple was founded in the IX century, during the reign of Khmer King Yasovarman I (Yasovarman I). The shrine was erected in the pre-Buddy period in honor of the love of Shiva and his wife Parvati (the reincarnation of Rudran), which personifies female devotion.
The creation of the temple is the Indian legend. According to her, one day Shiva went for meditation in the Himalayas and promised his wife that he would return in a few months. He did not return at the appointed time, and after one thousand years the ill-wishers informed the melancholy Parvati that her beloved husband was dead. From grief, she committed an act of self-immolation, and when her husband found out about it, he longed for a long time until he met the girl Rudran. It was his favorite in a new guise, and the family reunited.
Wat Tomo consisted of 2 temples, one of them almost completely destroyed, and the second left some buildings. Throughout the complex you can see various artifacts, however, the most valuable exhibits are stored in the museums of the nearest cities.
What can you see in the temple?
Today in the sanctuary you can find ancient buildings that are ancient religious symbols:
- Naga are creatures from Indian mythology, similar to a snake;
- lingams - they identify the male principle and are one of the images of Shiva;
- yoni - in the Indian mythology personify the feminine, and always located next to the lingam.
On the territory of the complex you can see the remaining walls, various blocks, entrance gates, made in the form of an arch, as well as 2 scrubbed terraces. This is a colossal and very difficult work for that time. And still here grow big trees, covered with vines and creating an atmosphere of mystery.
Features of Wat Tomo
On the territory of the complex is a small temple, on the stand of which you can get acquainted with the history of the shrine. There are practically no people here, and there are no cash desks. True, there is always someone who wants to sell tickets to tourists. The cost of visiting Wat Tomo is 1 dollar (10 thousand kip). The temple's working hours are indicated in the ticket: from 08:00 to 16:30. At the same time there is no fence or some kind of fence, so you can enter here at any time.
How to get to the complex?
To the shrine you can come alone by car, boat or motto-bike, which is best suited for movement through the jungle. For example, from the city of Pakse, you will get on the road number 13, you need to follow to the sign "Tomo Monument World Heritage", which translates as a World Heritage site. The distance is about 40 km.
By Wat Tomo you can sail from the town of Champasaka, the journey time will take up to 1.5 hours. If you travel by motorcycle, the locals will transport you along with the transport on a makeshift ferry. The price of such a trip is about $ 2.5, but do not forget to bargain.