Description of the attraction
Wat Aham is a small temple consisting of a sim, that is, the temple itself, and two ancient stupas, which are religious structures built in memory of a person. In the design of the temple, you can see both Buddhist and pagan, animalistic symbols.
According to urban legend, around the 14th century, on the site where the temple of Wat Aham now stands, a sanctuary was built for Pu No and Na No - the guardian spirits of Luang Prabang. Two centuries later, during the reign of King Fothisaratha, the temple was destroyed. The king was a pious Buddhist who dreamed of eradicating paganism in his country. Wat Aham was built on the site of the old temple. Soon after the destruction of the ancient sanctuary, misfortune struck the city: people began to get sick, a drought set in, due to which a bad harvest was collected. Local residents were sure that this was how the guardian spirits of the city expressed their displeasure over the destroyed shrine. During the reign of the next king, the temple of Wat Aham was rebuilt, returning some animalistic statues to it.
When the sanctuary of the spirits was destroyed again in the 20th century, the spirits, according to the inhabitants of Luang Prabang, moved to the large and very old banyan trees growing near the temple. Even today, Lao people bring offerings to these spirits during the New Year celebrations.
The current temple with a three-level roof, whose ends are decorated with images of naga snakes, was built in 1818. In front of him are statues depicting Hanuman and Ravana, characters in the Lao version of the Ramayana.
A picturesque garden with exotic plants is laid out near the temple. There is another temple next to Wat Aham - Wat Visunalat. The sanctuaries are connected by a passageway with large gates.
