Interesting Article PHETCHABURI

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PHETCHABURI

	[ Phra Nakhon Kriri Historical Park or Khao Wang ] This hill originally called Khao Samana or Khao Khiri, is located in the vicinity of Amphoe Muang Phetchaburi. The peak is 92 meters high. King Mongkut, Rama IV of the present dynasty, saw this hill and was so fond of the location that he gave an order to Phraya Phet Nisai Sisawat, Chief Administrative Officer of Muang Phetchaburi , to carry out the construction of a palace which he could use during his picnic trip. The construction was completed in the year 1860. It was named by the royal command, Phra Nakhon Khiri, But folks of Phetchaburi commonly call it Khao Wang (Palace Hill) until now. Phra Nakhon Khiri comprises royal halls, palaces, wats, and groups of buildings. The complex which was constructed mostly of harmonious Western neoclassic and Chinese architecture tops the following 3 large mountains : Eastern mountaintop, location of a hillside temple called Wat Maha Samanaram within the rite hall of which there are mural paintings by Khrua In Khong, a renowned painter in Thai history. The wat dates back to Ayutthaya period. Another temple, Wat Phra Kaew, tops the mountain as royal temple of Phra Nakhon Khiri, a resemblance to Wat Phra Si Rattana Maha Satsadaram (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) which stands as royal temple of the Grand Palace, Bangkok. Middle mountaintop, location of a 40 meters high chedi called Phra That Chom Phet inside of which the Buddha's relic had been placed. From here, a wide view of buildings on another 2 nearby mountaintops as well as Phetchaburi's provincial city can be seen. Western mountaintop, location o froyal residence complex including Phra Thi Nang Phet Phum Phairot, Phra Thi Nang Pramot Mahaisawan, Phra Thi Nang Wetchayan Wichian Prasat, Phra Thi Nang Ratcha Tham Sapha, Ho Chatchawan Wiang Chai, Ho Phiman Phet Mahesuan, Tamnak Santhakhan Sathan, Ho Chatuwet Parit Phot and Sala Thatsana Nakkhataroek. There are also several other buildings which are typical of palaces within the complex such as garage, stable, Sala Mahat Lek (royal page hall), Sala Lukkhun (official hall), Sala Dan (post), Sala Yenchai (hall for relaxation), Thim Dap (bodyguard rooms), and kitchen.4 forts stand at the 4 corners of the complex, each was named in rhyme starting with Thatarot Pongpok in the east. Wirunhok borirak in the south, Wirupak Pongkan in the west, and Wetsuwan Raksa in the north. Some parts of the complex on this western mountaintop were altered into Phra nakhon Khiri National Museum where priceless antiques such as King Rame IV's and King Rama V's paraphernalia, bronze and brass sculptures used for decorative purposes in several rooms of various buildings, and ceramics from China, Japan, and Europe are put on exhibition. The museum is open daily between 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. except Monday and Tuesday. Admission Bt 5 each. Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park is open everyday between 8.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. Admission Bt20. The mountaintop palaces are accessible either o foot or by cable railway which charge Bt10 each for one-way and Bt15 each for round trip. [ Khao Bandai It ] This is a small hill having a height of 121 meters at he peak. It is located two kilometers from Khao Wang. On the hill there is a very old monastery called Wat Khao Bandai It, and built in the Ayutthaya era. It is a famous school for meditation practice where King Sua of the late Ayutthaya era used to apply himself a student of the Lord Abbot Saeng. Besides Wat Khao Bandai It, there are several caves which are huge in size and are located underneath the hill. The first cave is called "Tham Prathun" which has Buddha images enshrined along both walls of the cave. If one goes further inside the can reach another cave called "Tham Phra Chao Sua". The name was give to the cave because King Sua came here to visit his teacher, Lord Abbot Saeng, who was offered a two-meter standing Buddha statue this statue is in the attitude of calming the ocean and has been enshrined in that cave over since then. Another cave located deeper inside is "Tham Phraphuttha Saiyat" which literally means the "Reclining Buddha Cave". Such name is given to the cave because a seclining Buddha is enshrined in that cave. Besides the Buddha image, there is also (in the cave too) a very old wooden boat roof which was offered to the Lord Abbot Saeng by King Sua. In addition, there are several more caves such as Phra Athit Cave, Phra Chan Cave, Duke Cave (the name given to the cave after a visit made by Duke Johan Albert), Sawang Arom Cave, and Chang Phuak Cave, which may satisfy cave visitors to a high degree. [ Tham Khao Luang ] This cave is located approximately five kilometers from Khao Wang. From the foot hill, there are concrete stair cases leading to the cave entrance. Khao Luang is a small-sized hill having a height of 92 meters at the peak. However, Khao Luang Cave is regarded as the Largest and most important cave of Changwat Phetchaburi because the important ornamented Buddha image built by King Rama V and dedicated to King Rama III and IV is enshrined here. This cave had been a royal picnic site since the King Rama IV period. He was very fond of this place so that he commanded the renovation of several old Buddha images in the cave. On the right hand side of the entrance at Khao Luang foot hill, there is a big beautiful monastery called by Phetchaburi folks Wat Tham Klaep which is now Wat Bun Thawi. There are some interesting items to be seen in this monastery such as a huge multipurpose pavilion, and beautiful wood carved door panels of the main shrine hall which was designed and constructed by the Lord Abbot who was a famous artisan. The old legend told by Phetchaburi folks for centuries is that the entrance of the cave at this monastery is the entrance of a twilight zone town where inhabitants are only young maidens. [ Wat Kamphaeng Laeng ] This monastery was originally a Khmer (Cambodian / Kampuchean) place of worship constructed in accordance with Bhramanism. Later on when the influence of Buddhism came into this region such a Bhraman place of worship was transformed to be a religious place of Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism respectively. Originally, there were five prangs (Khmer style pagoda) made of sandstone in the original place of worship. There are now only four prangs. It is presumed that each of the prangs was constructed to enshrine an idol such as Indar God, Narai God, Bhrama God and Uma Goddess due to the finding of an Uma Goddess statue in one ruined prang in the year 1956. After being transformed to be a monastery by construction of the main shrine hall, the outlook of the wat is not much changed due to the existing sandstone walls surrounding the wat.

	[ Wat Khao Takhrao ] This monastery is located at Tambon Bang Khrok, Amphoe Ban Laem and is accessible by two routes, i.e., through a 15 kilometer left hand branching road not far from Phetchaburi township (coming from Bangkok) where one can recognize a clear sign board, and another route is going from Phetchaburi township to Ban Laem Where one has to continue the journey for another six kilometer distance. This monastery houses a sitting Buddha images in the subding evil attitude having a height of 29 inches and a lap width of 21 inches it is called Luang Phao Khao Takhrao. There are a huge number of villagers and visitors who make a trip to pay homage and affix to the image, as an offering, gold leaf thus currently causing non clear vision of the original image's characteristics. There is a legend saying that this luang pho is one of the three brother Buddha images and the other two are : Luang Pho Sothon of Changwat Chachoengsao and Luang Pho Wat Ban Laem of Changwat Samut Songkhram. Some other legends say this image is one of the five-brother images, i.e., to include Luang Pho Bang Phli Yai and Luang Pho Wat Rai Khing of Changwat Nakhon Pathom to the above three images. However, the source of origin of this Buddha image is that during the fall of the Ayutthaya era, the villagers of Ban Laem migrated from Phetchaburi to the mouth of the Mae Klong River (the present Samut Songkhram folks descend from those people) just to be away from the Burmese troop marching route. One day a fisherman found two Buddha images through his usual trawling, in the bay area. One image is a standing Buddha in the attitude of carrying an alms bowl, and another is a sitting Buddha in the attitude of subduing evil. Ban Laem folks enshrined the standing Buddha at Wat Ban Laem which is now Wat Phetch Samut Wiham in the heart of Samut Songkhram township while the rest was give to relative at Bang Tabun to be enshrined at Wat Khao Takhrao of Amphoe an Laem, Changwat Phetchaburi.