Thousands Flock to Hua Hin Temple Ceremony Honoring Revered Monk
More than 2,000 devotees and monks gathered at Hua Hin Temple on July 24 for a memorial ceremony honoring the founding abbot Luang Pu Nak Punya Nakho, who died 92 years ago and remains a revered spiritual teacher in the province.
Hua Hin Temple was packed with activity as officials held the annual memorial service commemorating the 92nd anniversary of the death of Phrakhru Viriyathigaree, known as Luang Pu Nak Punya Nakho, the temple's founding abbot and a revered spiritual teacher in Hua Hin. The ceremony, held on July 24, 2025, at Hua Hin Temple in Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, drew more than 2,000 devotees and monks from across the province, including 77 abbots and senior monks who chanted Buddhist scriptures alongside local government officials and community leaders.
The festive atmosphere filled the grounds as devotees set up nearly 300 merit-making stalls offering food, fruit, rice, cooking oil, eggs, and everyday supplies to the community. A notable highlight was the large number of people seeking auspicious lottery numbers connected to Luang Pu Nak's memory on this 92nd anniversary, adding a spiritual dimension to the daylong celebration.
Luang Pu Nak, born in 1857 in Lad Pho, Phetchaburi Province, became renowned for his Buddhist scholarship and meditation practice under several respected masters. After a brief period outside the monkhood to support his family, he returned and played a key role in building Wat Wang Phong in Pranburi District. Later, Hua Hin residents invited him to lead Wat Amparam, which was renamed Wat Hua Hin under his leadership. He served as abbot for 38 years, developing the temple into a spiritual center for the community until his death on July 24, 1934, at age 79. The temple has since had 10 successive abbots continuing his legacy.
