Friday, September 18, 2009

Wat Lao in Texas Burned, Community Rebuilding

The Wat Lao in Saginaw, Texas, Wat Lao Thepnimith, caught fire on August 24th, destroying the campus temple. The Wat has been a part of the community for over 20 years, originally only a mobile home trailer for the 11,000 Lao estimated to be living in the North Texas region. An 18-foot-tall Buddha sits melted amid the debris. Several small statutes depicting the first Buddhist monk to arrive in the Laos region were also destroyed, and damage is estimated at $350,000 to $400,000. The community continues to work to rebuild the temple at 7105 Marvin Brown St.

The Star Telegram has some additional details on the story.

Best wishes to everyone who is involved with the restoration project.

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