Tham Fa Tho Cave, Khao Ngu

Terrain

General Condition

It is a cave in the Snake Mountains. which is a limestone mountain The area known as Khao Lat Kluay is about 260 meters west of the Hermit Cave. The cave is about 75 meters above the ground. The mouth of the cave is about 6.5 meters wide. facing southeast The cave is about 25.3 meters deep.

Current A cement staircase was made from the foot of the hill to the mouth of the cave. and pour the cement floor in front of the cave including inside the cave In addition, the Buddha image altar inside the cave was also made with cement.

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Mae Klong River It is about 4 kilometers east of Snake Mountain and 3.3 kilometers northeast of Khlong Nong Yai. It is about 1.1 km east.

Geological conditions

[See Snake Mountain]

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Archaeological age

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

On the south wall of the cave, there is a large reclining Buddha image (8.75 meters long). height 1.85 meters) Dvaravati period Turning his head towards the mouth of the cave, behind the Buddha's head is a circular plate, above the Praphamonthon is a stucco image of Thep Chumumong and trees. The image of the tree is decorated with a cloth hanging over the hem and the trunk is tied with a ring decorated with Uba. The characteristics of the leaves are the same, namely the Sal leaf, which means the passage of nirvana. which is surrounded by 7 gods the first one holding a lotus flower The second one is the image of Thep Phanom. 3rd person holding a garland As for the 4-7th one, only the head is left.

The north wall of the cave houses four disciples, one of whom shows signs of walking or flying. crossed arms This is a gesture of respect (swasdika mudra), which crosses his hands like Vishnu at Tham Phra Bodhisattva, Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province. and like a standing Buddha image in the posture of offering eyes at Viharn Kal Sri Lanka's Plonnaruwa Art which can be observed that there is a Buddha image in the nirvana posture in the same area (Sakchai Saising 2004:204)

Display of the reclining Buddha image facing the cave entrance and there are deities congregating above the Buddha image Very similar to the picture in cave number 26 at Ajanta India Pictured in cave number 26 at Ajanta India (Sakchai Saising 2004:204; Piriya Krairiksh 2010) built around the 11th Buddhist century (Piriya Krairikrk 2553) or the 12th Buddhist Century (Archaeology Division, Fine Arts Department 1995). may come to do more later in the Ayutthaya or Rattanakosin period by considering the art form (Sakchai Saising 2004:204) and may show that the Theravada sect of Dvaravati has adopted the anonymity of Mahayana doctrine such as Ajantama adapted to its ideology. who lived in the late 13th Buddhist century (Piriya Krairiksh 2010)

In addition, many red sandstone Buddha images are found inside the cave, and at the mouth of the cave there are traces of the clay-tiled roof structure and masonry walls, which are presumed to be ancient artifacts and architecture. Ayutthaya period