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[
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.
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