Ratchaburi: One Day Trip to Khao Ngu Shrine and Cave

When we think of Ratchaburi, we often think of far-flung destinations like Suan Phueng, Photharam, and sheep farms, places that require an overnight stay. Otherwise, Ratchaburi is mostly just a city we pass through. However, Ratchaburi offers a diverse range of attractions, both natural and man-made.

Today, we decided to take a day trip to Ratchaburi. With limited time, our first stop was Khao Ngu Stone Park. However, we mistakenly entered through the back entrance, which led us to the Khao Ngu Shrine and the Ruesi Khao Ngu Cave. Since we were already there, we decided to explore.

Lord of the Snake Mountain

Khao Ngu in Ratchaburi is currently designated by the province as a tourist attraction called Khao Ngu Stone Park. It has a long history, according to Rong Kumjit, who recounts a legend passed down from the elders that Khao Ngu is a hidden city. The legend states that there is a cave in the mountain that leads to the hidden city of Lab Lae, where the Lab Lae people reside. However, no one can see these people.

The sentence describes a Thai folktale about the Lapan people, a mythical group believed to possess magical abilities. According to the tale, the Lapan would lend crockery to villagers for religious ceremonies. However, after some villagers failed to return borrowed items, the Lapan refused to lend anything further, and the entrance to their hidden city closed. The sentence concludes with a humorous remark comparing the situation to borrowing crockery from a local temple.

Legends persist to this day of a giant serpent, the "Lord of the Snake Hill," who protects worshippers and residents within its domain. Around 50 years ago, the area was said to be teeming with snakes, some so large that their heads and tails stretched across the road. However, as people encroached upon their land, the snakes vanished. A replica of the Buddha's footprint is located on Snake Hill, leading to the belief that annual worship brings happiness and prosperity.

Adjacent to the Snake Mountain Shrine, there is a forest with a large population of long-tailed macaques.

The Thai people and the Thai people of Mon descent flocked to the merit-making ceremony of the tenth lunar month, which is the rainy season. They came by boat, which led to the tradition of boat racing at Khao Ngu. Therefore, the people of Ratchaburi never miss the Khao Ngu festival every year. However, the Rotary Club has set the date for the Khao Ngu festival to be held on the first day of the eleventh lunar month every year. In addition, around 1994, the province began to develop the Khao Ngu area into a tourist attraction.

Model Pond and Waterfall

The inscription on the tile found at Aranyik in front of Khao Ngu mentions "Harn Boon Thai," indicating that Khao Ngu was an ancient archaeological site dating back to the Dvaravati period. The inscription suggests that the large city of Ku Bua was built during the 12th-13th centuries CE. Khao Ngu, located approximately 14 kilometers from Ku Bua, is believed to have been constructed around the same time. It served as a religious site where monks could reside and practice meditation in a secluded environment away from the city's hustle and bustle.

Entrance to the Ruesi Khao Ngu Cave

The Snake Cave is a cave or religious site associated with Buddhism. Inside the cave, there is a seated Buddha statue with legs dangling down, measuring 2.50 meters in height. The right hand of the statue is in the Vitarka mudra, or the gesture of teaching-preaching, while the left hand rests on the lap. The statue is influenced by Indian art from the post-Gupta period (11th-13th centuries CE). The face is flat, the eyebrows are carved as raised lines that connect to form a crow's wing shape, the eyes are bulging, the nose is flat, the lips are thick, and the hair is curled in a large bun. The halo is in the shape of a closed lotus flower.

Seated Buddha statue with legs crossed, 2.50 meters high

The inscription below the feet of the Buddha statue consists of 12 Pallava characters in Sanskrit, written in a style common in South India between the 11th and 12th centuries CE. The inscription reads "Puṇyakarmaśara Śrīsamādhikuta(h)," which translates to "The holy Śrīsamādhikuta, purified by good deeds."

The characteristics of this seated Buddha statue with dangling feet are similar to those of the seated Buddha statue with dangling feet in the Ajanta Caves in India.

Inside the Rishi Cave of the Snake Mountain

Rock patterns in the cave

Buddha statue carved from the cave wall

The western wall of the Rishi Cave features a bas-relief image of a standing Buddha in the Dvaravati style (11th-13th centuries CE), depicted in the Abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness). Traces of red pigment are visible around the Buddha's head, suggesting that the statue was originally painted. This discovery provides evidence of the flourishing of Buddhism in Thailand for over 1,000 years.

Thanks for the information from: laelae2013

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