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Sala Keoku (Thai:ศาลาแก้วกู่;RTGS: Sala Kaeo Ku;[sǎːlaːkɛ̂ːwkùː], also spelled asSala Keo Ku,Sala Keo Koo,Sala Kaew Ku,Sala Kaew Koo,Salakaewkoo,Sala Gaew Goo,Sala Kaeoku, etc.; alternative name:Wat Khaek) is a park featuring giantfantasticconcretesculptures inspired byBuddhism andHinduism. It is located nearNong Khai,Thailand in immediate proximity of theThai-Lao border and theMekong river. The park has been built by and reflects the vision ofLuang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and his followers. The construction started in 1978. It shares the style ofSulilat's earlier creation,Buddha Park on theLao side ofMekong, but is marked by even more extravagant fantasy and greater proportions.
Some of the Sala Keoku sculptures reach 25m. Those include a monumental depiction ofBuddha meditating under the protection of a seven-headedNaga snake. While the subject (based on aBuddhist legend) is one of the recurrent themes in thereligious art of the region,Sulilat's approach is unusual, with its naturalistic (even though stylized) representation of the snakes.
The Sala Keoku pavilion is a three-storyconcrete building, whose domes bear a resemblance to amosque. It was constructed following Sulilat's plans after his death. The third floor houses related artifacts, as well as Sulilat's mummified body.
Perhaps the most enigmatic part of the park is the Wheel of Life, a circular multi-part group of sculptures representing thekarmic cycle of birth and death through a progression oftarot-like characters. The composition culminates with a young man taking a step across the fence surrounding the entire installation to become aBuddha statue on the other side.
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