Wat Koh Wanararm got its name ‘Lucky Temple’ as devotees attribute healing and miracles when they pay their respects and conduct prayers in the temple.
The Lucky Temple is a fascinating Thai Buddhist temple on the island of Langkawi.
This Thai-influenced Buddhist Temple is a popular destination for devotees and tourists.
If this is your first visit to Langkawi, visiting Wat Koh Wanrarm will give you some time to break away from the hustle and bustle of Kuah.
Thai Holy Monk, Luang Phor Khoon
The Thai Holy Monk, Luang Phor Khoon, founded Wat Luangpo Koon Parisutto Wanararm.
The local Buddhist community in Langkawi went to seek blessings from the famous Thai monk.
He was pleased by the devotees’ gestures. He helped the devotees build the temple with donations.
Luang Por Khun visited Langkawi in 2000 and raised RM3.0 million, which was used to buy land in the northeast part of Langkawi Island.
In 2006, Luang Por Khun made a second trip and helped the temple raise another RM 2.3 million to build the prayer hall.
The temple complex was opened on May 22nd, 2014.
Monks and dignitaries from Tibet, Taiwan, and many Asian countries, as well as local authorities, NGOs, and the local Buddhist community, attended the opening ceremony.
Wat Koh Wanararm The Hidden Jewel
This temple is a hidden jewel off the beaten track and not listed in tourist-guided tours.
The location is 10 minutes from Kuah Town, off Jalan Ayer Hangat.
Marked only by a small, obscure signboard, colourful flags lead up a dirt track as you turn off the main road into the temple ground.
Since its opening, many devotees and worshippers have continued to make their pilgrimage to practice meditation and pray.
What are the structures at Wat Koh WanararmTemple Grounds?
The main hall has a giant Buddha statue and wall paintings depicting events in Buddha’s life.
The central main prayer hall is the most prominent building, and it is peaceful and quiet when you enter.
It is serene as you enter.
A monk seated in a lotus position will welcome you.
He blesses devotees with drips from a golden bowl containing holy water and gives them Sai Sin Sacred Thread Bracelets to bring good luck and protection.
The giant golden statues of Buddha sitting beneath a mural of the Bodhi Tree in the hall are magnificent.
Next to this building, Sima Hall, a place for all religious activities, is under construction.
The serenity of Wat Koh Wanararm Temple is very holy.
A large white marble Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) statue carved into the hillside overlooks the Lucky Temple.
Crying Kuan Yin Statue
A large white marble Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) statue carved out of the hillside overlooks the whole temple area.
The Chinese Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Compassion, Mercy, and Kindness, is considered a mother goddess and patron of seamen.
The name Kuan Yin is a short form for Kuan-shi Yin, meaning “Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the (human) World.”
The Bodhisattva is Guan Yin, Guan Yim, Kuan Yim, or Kwan I’m.
Behind the temple is a small, well-tended Zen garden fringed by a hill range.
One of the hill faces had a bare white marble facade that resembled the Chinese Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin.
In 2012, the temple commissioned two Chinese stone artisans from Fujian, China, to carve the hill.
The artisan staged scaffolding to build a working platform on which to carve the impressive 138-foot statue of Kuan Yin on the hill’s stone face.
They chisel away at the sheer vertical marble face daily for two years.
They completed the statue in 2014.
The Kuan Yin dressed in a flowing gown.
She holds a jar containing pure water in her left hand and a willow branch on her right.
The Kuan Yin has a sad face, and tear stains emerged underneath her right eye.
These stains stayed after rainy spells, and the weather cleared up. It does look like she is crying.
The Chinese Bodhisattva, Guan Yin.
The Chinese Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Compassion, Mercy, and Kindness, is considered a mother goddess and patron of seamen.
A Landscaped Garden inside Wat Koh Wanararm
A landscaped garden has outdoor pagodas, statues, prayer wheels, a fish pond, and more.
Besides the statues, the temple is known for its landscape park with fish ponds, creeks, bridges, beautiful plants, prayer wheels, outdoor pagodas, and even gazebos.
Lush jungles surround the temple grounds, making the environment quiet and serene.
I can hear the chirping sound of birds and insects.
There aren’t any mosquitos.
The aura of peace permeates the air.
We tread lightly, taking in the fresh and soothing atmosphere. The Zen-like stillness all around us absorbs our worries and negativity.
The beauty of Thai architecture, colors, and contemplative silence is a sight.
Tibetan Stupas at Wat Koh Wanararm
On one side of the temple, the compounds are contemplative Buddha statues and eight Tibetan Stupas, a mound-like hemispherical structure containing “relics” or remains of Buddhist monks or nuns and used as a place of meditation.
The Stupas, which are dedicated to various states of the soul, have names such as the Stupa of Enlightenment, the Stupa of Many Doors, the Stupa of Reconciliation, and so on.
I see local devotees praying and circumambulating the Stupas for merits.
Schools of Buddhism Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
Visitors to the temple would find, to their surprise, the three schools of Buddhism in this temple – the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism.
Taiwanese people who predominantly practice Mahayana Buddhism have their Chinese Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin.
The Thais from the Theravada Buddhism school have Buddha images and ceremonies.
The Vajrayana school of Buddhism predominates in the Himalayan nations of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia, and its temples have stupas.
Earning Merit in Buddhism
One of the main goals of Buddhist followers is to earn merit.
Earning merit is essentially the same as earning good karma, as doing bad things is a withdrawal; making merit is a deposit in a “spiritual bank account.”
How to Get to Wat Koh Wanararm Langkawi?
Outside Kuah, you will see the turnoff to the temple on the right, immediately opposite the MARA College building (Maktab Rendah Sains Mara). The turnoff has a signpost; watch out for it.
What is GPS for self-drive?
GPS coordinates: 6° 20′ 15.63″ N 99° 52′ 26.90″ E
Is there parking at Wat Koh Wanararm?
There is plenty of FREE parking, and the entrance to the temple is FREE.
Wat Koh Wanararm Langkawi Opening Hours
The temple is open 24 hours.
Donations are always welcome.
Wat Wanararm is far off the main road and away from settlements, always quiet and calm.
You can spend more than an hour walking around the grounds enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
Nearby is the Orchid Farm, so we can combine a visit to visit both attractions.
Wat Koh Wanararm
Buddhist temple in Langkawi
Address: Jalan Ayer Hangat, Kuah, Kedah, 07000 Langkawi
Hours: Open 24 hours
Telephone: 07-9671917
Facebook: www.facebook.com/watkohwanararmlkw/
