Wat Sovannkiri Buddhist Temple

About Wat Sovannkiri Buddhist Temple:

Wat Sovannkiri is a Cambodian and Laotion temple located in City Heights and is held by Prom Khian Attagutto. Prom is the head monks among the two temples. Before 2005 one of the temples was actually a Christian church.  It has since been turned into a second temple which is across the street, and primarily used for celebrating holidays. I only went inside one, but did photograph the outside of both. Make sure to check out both as they are both breathtakingly beautiful and filled with great detail.

You will notice right upon visiting Wat Sovannkiri the distinct statues of angels, guardians, lions, dragons and warriors. They are there to protect from the evil eye. Everyone is welcome to visit and receive a better understanding of the Buddhist teachings. The monks are extremely kind and gracious if you would like to have a chat with them.

I was completely taken back with just how welcoming everyone was when I visited and the fact that they encouraged me to take photos inside the temple and anywhere else I wanted. I felt like I would give off a rude impression walking around with my camera and not actually being part of the temple, but thankfully I had the exact opposite experience.

There were ladies selling food that they had made and fruit from their gardens. I bought some delicious guavas and jicama, chai tea and they insisted I sample their fried bananas (which were incredibly tasty)! Once inside the temple, there was a kind monk who let me look around and take a photo of him. Once again, he was over-the-top kind and humble. This was a great experience and what a beautiful temple!

If you stop by, make sure you make a donation and buy some of their great food if they’re out there selling.  I went on a Sunday afternoon and cannot speak for what it’s like the rest of the week.

They have their market on Sunday mornings:

The second temple is located across the street.  Appreciate from the street as I believe this is their residency: