Our Buddhist temple Wat Idahophoxairaraam (or Wat Idaho) was founded by the Lao community in 2006, a legacy left to us by our grandparents and parents. Our temple is organized and operated exclusively as a non-profit charitable and religious organization as defined by the IRS code section 501 ( c)(3) since 2006. In addition, it is affiliated with the Lao-American Buddhist Sangha Council. Wat Idaho
phoxaiyaraam is located at 4812 Howard lane in Nampa, the 2nd most-populous city in Idaho, at a distance of about 20 miles west of Boise, Idaho’s state capital. Before the temple’s creation, the Lao community relied on the religious services of the Buddhist temple in Salt Lake City, UT. Therefore, there was a need to build a local house of worship which is within reach to Idahoans and which will provide immediate religious assistance in the event of urgent need of monks. The congregation consists mainly of immigrants from Southeastern Asian countries, where Theravada Buddhism is prominent. Theravada means “the way of the Elders” and it has existed for over 2,500 years. We trace our lineage all the way back to Buddha, who passed away in 550 B.C. Wat Idaho’s earnings mainly come from donations collected during the monthly Buddhist holidays which support general operational expenses. We continue to seek other funding sources such as grants and in-kind donations to support operations and viability.
