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Wat Santiwongsaram

Wat Santiwongsaram Temple has a gentle and enticing blend of the exotic and spiritual. From the architectural design of the buildings, to the religious symbols and images, the temple is an integral part of the Buddhist Centre for prayer and meditation. Wat Santiwongsaram Temple plays an important role in shaping Buddhist society and values. It is located at 107 & 97-101 Handsworth Wood Road, Birmingham B20 2PH United Kingdom. the registered charity no. 1123606.

History

Dating back to 1987, there was no Thai temple in Birmingham. Birmingham was however a popular destination for Thai nationals who came here to study and work in the UK. Due to the demand of Thai people and Buddhists in general who have nowhere to turn to for spiritual support, Mrs. Preecha Lathe had invited a group of Buddhist monks from Thailand to temporarily reside in a rental accommodation located at 27 Bayswater Road, Birmingham. Not long after, with a limited amount of money, a small semi-detached property at 69 Cooper Road, Birmingham was converted into a temple and named “Wat Sanghathan”. Wat Sanghathan Temple was aimed at allowing Thai monks to preach and propagate Buddhism.

Built in 1987, Wat Sanghathan Temple, located in Cooper Road

Since then Wat Sanghathan Temple’s followers and prayers have increased in number and strength. In 1990 the temple could no longer accommodate and support all its members as it was now too small compared to the visitors’ number. The temple was eventually sold and transferred to the new location at 107 Handsworth Wood Road, Birmingham where the temple remains till the present.

As the money from the proceeds of the sale of 69 Cooper Road was not sufficient to buy the new temple, Mrs. Vanida Suwansheep, a Thai business lady kindly donated 4 million baht and lent a further 4 million baht to the temple. It was necessary to repay the loaned amount so the sum was borrowed from Wat Sanghathan Temple in Nonthaburi province, Thailand and with the financial support of the Buddhist followers both in the United Kingdom and Thailand the fund was fully repaid in 2004. In February 2008 we were granted charitable status which gave us financial benefits including the ability to claim‘Gift Aid’, adding greatly to the value of donations. At the same time we changed the name of the temple, with the approval and blessing of Phra Rachabhavanavimol (The Chief of The Council of Thai Buddhist Dhammaduta monks, who is the official Thai monk representative in the UK and the Abbot of Wat Buddhapadipa Temple of Wimbledon, London, and The Chairman of The Council of Thai Buddhist Monks of The United Kingdom) to ‘Wat Santiwongsaram’ Temple. The word “Santiwongsaram” is very appropriate as it’s translation means “Shelter for those who love peace”.

Wat Santiwongsaram Temple has undergone a continuous change to support the increasing number of it’s members and visitors especially at the Buddhist festivals and organised events. In November 2011 the temple expanded into one large buildings nearby which is located at 97-101 Handsworth Wood Road, Birmingham. In 2014 we bought the land at the back of this building, (half an acre). This land is now used for outdoor festivals and includes the Buddhist Octagonal pagoda and a large lawn for retreat and meditation, and has given us parking spaces for 45 vehicles. This Chanting Hall is one of the biggest Buddhist Chanting Halls in the United Kingdom with its two hundred and sixty-five square meters. This means we can easily accommodate a congregation of 300. The pictures of the expanded new building located at 97-101 Handsworth Wood Road. a

Leadership

The temple remains under the strong leadership of Chairman and Abbot Phra Chan Samroengsin (Janthawanno). In 2005 Phra Chan was elevated to the title of “Phrakroopavanadhammavites” in recognition of his furthering the Buddhist religion in the UK.

Wat Santiwongsaram Temple has been continuously developing In 2015 Phra Aod Titajaro (Boonyoung) the secretary of Wat Santiwongsaram has been promoted to Phrakroosangharak Aod Titajaro, again to recognise his work as a teacher and counselor to benefit the local Buddhist population. Much of the repairs and decoration have been carried out by the monks and members of the congregation.

Activities

   * They provide the following services for the local community, not necessarily Buddhists, available to everyone  
   * Celebrating Buddhist Festivals in including Magha Puja  day, Vesākha day, Arsaraha Puja day and Songkran (Thai new year). We also  celebrate international New Year  
   * They provide meditation courses for everyone.  
   * They provide meditation courses for specific grounds, especially to overcome depression  
   * They give a counselling services to help with any emotional problems.   
   * They also offer an intensive course in meditation to help drug addicts 

Now that they had completed current expansion program they are confident that they can offer the spiritual and cultural improvement plans to help a much increased congregation. It is they intention to make the temple available to a greater percentage of local UK visitors in addition to the Thai community.