Wat Tham Khao Prang (วัดถํ้าเขาปรางค์)

Thai. ‘Hill cave stupa temple’. Name of a Buddhist temple in Lopburi. It is situated on a hill in the tambon Nikhom Lam Narai (นิคมลํานารายณ์), which is located in the amphur Chai Bahdahn (ชัยบาดาล). It features a large white Buddha statue seated in the half lotus position while performing a dhammachakka mudra, a hand pose that symbolizes the Buddha's first public discourse of his doctrine given to five ascetics at Mrigadava in Sarnath (fig.). In this mudra, the Buddha forms a circle with the thumb and index finger of both hands, whilst the other fingers point outwards. Behind the Buddha's head is a large circular disk that represents the Wheel of Law (fig.) and symbolizes the ongoing cycle of cause and effect in ones life, known as kam (karma) and resulting in perpetual reincarnation. The disk or wheel also symbolizes the Buddha's first sermon held in a deer park at Sarnath, which set in motion the Buddha's doctrine and which allows for the perpetual cycle to be broken by attaining Enlightenment. To the right of the large statue is a covered staircase that leads to the base of the Buddha statue, which is hollow and doubles as a tunnel-like hall that is used to display statues of famous and highly venerated Buddhist monks. Some what to the left of this are three large gilded statues of venerated monks situated on a flat part of the hill and overlooking the valley. They are covered by a roof. To its right is a statue of a Garuda. The base of the large Buddha statue is just a first stop from the naga-staircase, which from here leads further to a platform near the top of the hill, where visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the area, after climbing more stairs to the top level of the multi-storey edifice topped with several shiny silver stupas made from metal and topped with gilded spires. The staircase to this platform is fashioned in the form of a large dragon-like naga that needs to be entered through its mouth in order to get access to the stairs. Both in front of the giant Buddha statue and in front of the pavilion at the top Asoka Pillars have been erected, each pillar topped with a capital with four lions (fig.), portrayed seated back to back underneath a Wheel of Law. They are replicas of the 15 meter tall column (fig.) erected at the site of the Buddha’s first sermon in Sarnath (fig.) by the Indian-Mauryan Emperor Asoka (fig.) after his conversion to Buddhism, in order to propagate the teachings of the Buddha. See also EXPLORER'S MAP and WATCH VIDEO. 回