Tham Phra Buddha (Buddha Cave) – A Hidden Valley
From Klongpang to Huai Yod in the east, there is a village road which is 17 km Ieading to Tham Phra Buddha Temple (wat). At this temple, you can see Buddha image lying in the sleeping gesture. The image has a very beautiful face. It is said that it was built in the late Ayudhaya period and it was not actually made by southern crafters. Maybe it was made by the royal crafters ordered by the king of Ayudhaya. (Ayudhaya was the old capital of Thailand before the last Burmese invasion in A.D. 1767)
Inside the cave, high-class household facilities such as silverwares, laquerwares, and potteries were put in there and built into the image to cover the cave so that noone could see.
These precious objects were definitely not belong to ordinary local people but then are illustrated three possible sources:
1. Queen Luadkao ordered her men to bring these precious objects to worship the Buddha image and the rest were hidden in the cave.
2. Local historian mentioned that these precious objects might have been made sometime before Ayudhaya was attacked by Burma. They were afraid of being defeated and Burmese will come and take them so they hid them in the cave.
3. Some said during the war with Burma, the ruler of Nakornsrithammarat hid the trasures here in A.D. 1785 (B.E. 2328) and then ordered the image to be built close to the mouth of the cave.
Wat Kao Phra (Kao Phra Template) : Puzzles for Anthropology.
Traveling from Klongpang to the north, before Huay Yod District, you will reach Ban Huay Nang. There is a road on the left from here leading to Kao Phra Temple, 4 km away.
“Tham Tra” is a subject of interest among anthropologists because of the red symbol found carved into the stone wall in the cave. Eight more symbols, similar to the first one, are also found under the cave well – 50 metres below. The symbol remains a puzzle because no one knows what it means or refers to. Anthropologists are still attempting to explain these symbols. At the top of the stairs in the cave, another astonishing feature can be found. It is the body of a dead abbot of Kao Phra Temple who dies in A.D. 1963 (B.E. 2506). Luang Por Eiat Suwanno is preserved in a tall cenerary urn. Everyone will be astonished as the abbot looks still alive – his hair, teeth, and nails – nothing has decayed.
Tham Kao Changhai (Lost Elephant Cave) – The curtain of stalactites and stalagmites
From Nayong, a sub-district in Trang, there is a big sign an arrow pointing to Tham Kao Changhai, in Namuensri Village. The name “Chang Hai” means a “lost elephant”. According to the legend, people in this village was participating in a procession of horses and elephants carrying jewels to be put in a pagoda in Nakornsrithammarat when one of the mother elephants lost its newly born beautiful male baby elephant which ran into the cave. The mother elephant couldn’t enter the cave to follow her baby, so stopped and cried in front of the cave. People tried to help her finding the baby elephant, but they failed to do so because inside the cave was very confusing – It was covered with stalactites and the floor was full with stalagmites, which hid her baby elephant. And that’s why the cave was named “Chang Hai” or “Lost Elephant”
The Reclining Buddha Image – at Wat Pukaothong.
At Kao Lak Village which is located in east of Trang, on the hill in Wat Pukaothong, the Buddha Image reclining in Nipparana period has been lying there. The image’s face illustrates the southern craft. The outstanding characteristic is that the image is wearing “Serd” – kind of hat or crown used only for “Noras”, an important performance in southern Thailand. Normally, the image with “Serd” usually stands or sits down but rarely are they found lying down. Only one was found here at Wat Pukathong.
Wat Keereewihan (Keereewihan Temple)
Between Huai Yod and Nawong on Petchakasem Road, locating Wat Keereewihan. Buddha images in different gesture were found by anthropologists here. In A.D. 1903 (B.E. 2446), earth-framed images were found. These images, made by “unknown” people, are displayed at the temple all the time. Wat Keereewihan is another good place for anthropologists.
Visit and old cave – Tham Kao Pina (Kao Pina Cave)
Fourty three kilometres from Trang to Krabi on Trang-Krbi Route, you will find a sign point to the way to Kao Pina or Pina Mountain. “Pina” is a Yawee word which means “a person who conquers everything”. The first Muslim named Pina used to settle here so the place is named after his name. Kao Pina is a limestone mountain and
Wat Kao Pina is located at the foot of it. There are stairs leading to six different caves, each of which is different from each other.
Tham E-So (E-so Cave) at Wat So Rachapradit (So Rachapradit Temple)
The road to Tham So Rachapradit is opposite the Praya Rusadanupradit Barrack. From the main road, it’s only 5 km to Wat So Rachapradit. This temple is quite, shady and cool with various trees growing on the hills. E-So is the name of a tall, enourmous, upright beautiful shady trees grown here. In this cave, the Reclining Buddha image was built lying along the length of the cave wall.
Tham Kao kob (Kao Kob Cave) or Tham Le (Sea Cave)
From Trang Town, uses route No. 4 to Huay Yod. At Hua Yod, turn left and you will arrive Kao Kob Cave or Tham Kao Kob. Tham Kao Kob is said to be the longest sea uner the mountain. You should plan to visit Tham Kao Kob in summer but not in rainy season because it will be difficult to get in there. Kao Kob Cave located in Kao Kob Mountain surrounded by rubber trees and rice fields. Around the mountain are the canals; the first one goes left, the second one goes right and the last one go directly into the mountain.
Although the Kao Kob Mountain is only 400 metres wide and 800 metres long, the canal that goes inside it is about 4 kms long. The weather inside is good and breezy. There are many caves inside the mountain, such as Konthan Cave, Thongprarong Cave, Sawanh Cave, Petch Cave, Ply Cave, and Paeng Cave. If you want to go inside the cave, Tourist Service Centre there provide boat trip for 70 Baht/person.
Wat Phra Ngam
From the Phraya Rusadanupradit Monument, about 2 kilometres is the Phra Ngam (Beautiful Budha image) made from gold and covered with cement. I history, notorious thieves disguised as ordinary people and played a trick whie people were pulling a sacred image during the Chak Phra Festival. The image was seized by these thieves. Later, it was destroyed and the thieves left only broken pieces. The pieces were put back together and the image is complete again.
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Nora Performance |
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Rong Ngang |
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