Sanook Sukhararom Cave

Terrain

General Condition

Sanook Sukhararom Cave is located behind or on the west side of Wat Tham Sanuk Sukhararom. at the foothills of the north of Khao Thai Dang.

Khao Thai Dang is a limestone mountain in a group of limestone mountains in the west of Chumphon Province. The highest peak of Khao Thai Dang is approximately 300. meters above mean sea level As for the peak near Tham Sanuk Sukharom, 163 meters high, it is located 1.5 kilometers south of the Chumphon Canal.

The area around the mouth of the cave is a villager's garden. The cave is a large cave. It consists of 2 large booths, namely the north booth and the south booth, but between the two booths there is a channel through each other.

Northern booth The mouth of the cave facing northeast is about 16 meters wide and about 18 meters deep. The cave floor is poured into a cement floor. There are paintings about the Buddha's history on the walls of the cave inside and the cave mouth is enshrined several Buddha images. The main body is 3 Buddha images (plaster) enshrined in the middle of the cave. The middle one depicts the subduing Mara, while the two sides represent the meditation posture. Behind the main Buddha image, there is a small cave, deep inside, from asking, he can walk through the other side of him, but the cave is small and very dark.

In the middle of the mouth of the cave on this side is enshrined a large Buddha image in the subduing Mara posture with two Buddha disciples enshrined on the left and right sides with letters indicating the creator's name and the date of creation. (Constructed in March 1987) During the survey on August 21, 2013, a large rock was found on top of the Buddha amulet. From interviews, it was revealed that this rock collapsed from the ceiling of the cave a few days ago. Before, overlapping this Buddha image and the disciple on the right caused great damage.

Southern booth The mouth of the cave faces east with a width of about 14 meters and a depth of about 20 meters. The floor of the cave is poured into a cement floor, inside enshrining a Buddha (metal) Buddha image, including the disciples on the left-right side. (While the survey was covered with a cloth) statues of monks. (made of mortar) 13 images inside the cave and 3 images at the mouth of the cave, the wall of the cave is written with names of donors. In addition, inside there is a cement pedestal containing the ashes(?)

Height above mean sea level

Waterway

Khlong Chumphon

Geological conditions

Khao Thai Dang, where the cave is Sanuk Sukhararom It is a limestone mountain in a group of limestone mountains in the west of Chumphon Province. in the Ratchaburi rock group Permian period (approximately 286-245 million years old) (Department of Mineral Resources 2007)

Archaeological Era

era/culture

Types of archaeological sites

archaeological essence

The Fine Arts Department surveyed and found evidence of ancient prehistoric times inside Sanook Sukhararom Cave, including 14 pieces of clay pottery fragments, total weight 80 grams, decorated with 9 pieces of rope pattern and 5 pieces of smooth surface. incinerated at low temperature The outer surface is brownish-gray. With a thickness ranging from 0.2-0.6 centimeters, it is assumed that this cave is probably a temporary dwelling place for prehistoric humans (Department of Fine Arts 2022).

From the survey on August 21, 2556, it was found that the nature of the cave. a large cave It consists of 2 large booths, namely the north booth and the south booth, but between the two booths there is a channel that penetrates each other, the soil surface at the mouth of the cave and inside the main booth are poured into a cement floor. The current characteristics of each booth are as follows:

Northern booth The mouth of the cave facing northeast is about 16 meters wide and about 18 meters deep. The cave floor is poured into a cement floor. There are paintings about the Buddha's history on the walls of the cave inside and the cave mouth is enshrined several Buddha images. The main body is 3 Buddha images (plaster) enshrined in the middle of the cave. The middle one depicts the subduing Mara, while the two sides represent the meditation posture. Behind the main Buddha image, there is a small cave, deep inside, from asking, he can walk through the other side of him, but the cave is small and very dark.

In the middle of the mouth of the cave on this side is enshrined a large Buddha image in the subduing Mara posture with two Buddha disciples enshrined on the left and right sides with letters indicating the creator's name and the date of creation. (Constructed in March 1987) During the survey on August 21, 2013, a large rock was found on top of the Buddha amulet. From interviews, it was revealed that this rock collapsed from the ceiling of the cave a few days ago. Before, over this Buddha image and the disciples on the right caused great damage, which the villagers believed that the sacred guardians of the cave did not want a large Buddha image to cover the entrance of the cave because the night before the cave's ceiling collapsed, there were nuns inside. The temple dreamed that someone told me to remove this Buddha image because it blocked the entrance and exit of the cave or it would explode by itself.

Southern booth The mouth of the cave faces east with a width of about 14 meters and a depth of about 20 meters. The floor of the cave is poured into a cement floor, inside enshrining a Buddha (metal) Buddha image, including the disciples on the left-right side. (While the survey was covered with a cloth) statues of monks. (made of mortar) 13 images inside the cave and 3 images at the mouth of the cave, the wall of the cave is written with names of donors. In addition, inside there is a cement pedestal containing the ashes(?)