Khao Bandai-It temple in Petchaburi is not the most famous or most visited in town but it is my favourite.
The town has a very well known hill with a palace on it called Khao Wang but just one kilometre away on the other side of the main road heading from Bangkok to the south is its forgotten twin of Khao Bandai-It, which translates as "brick steps hill". I recently took an early morning cycle ride from home over to see it properly.
I left home early and covered the 5km to the temple as quickly as I could hoping for a good sunrise. There is a steep little road up to a radio mast station at the top of the hill that gives good exercise and a good view over the town looking east. Unfortunately, the sunrise was hardly worth a photograph but I was entertained by a troop of long-tailed macaques making their way downhill towards the main temple area where the food is. Skillfully walking along the overhead powerlines the younger ones were a bit nervous of my presence so also showed me their jumping ability from wires to trees.
Sunrise looking over Petchaburi town and Khao Wang hill
Mobile obstacles on the way back down the hill
Then I went halfway back down the hill to the large Buddha statue perched on a slope. The main gate wasn't open yet but I found a longer route around the back which included a climb of around 200 steps. This golden statue is impressive and I like its "a-okay" gesture. Still being early with nobody else around the half a dozen dogs based there did their best to get me to leave but the wag in their tails showed that despite their barking they really wanted to be friends!
Down at the main temple the monkeys were busy grooming each other and waiting beside the road for people to throw them some food despite all the "Do not feed the monkeys" signs. And creating quite a mess in the process. The dogs were half-active, some just lying about, other wandering around lazily. A few monks and nuns were busy with chores, but most of the monks were still out on their alms round.
"Beware of Monkeys"
One group of dogs was very happy to see a particular nun. I had a chat with her and she told me that they looked after about 60 dogs at this temple. Discarded pets and their progeny are a big problem throughout the country but overall most of these temple dogs seem to have quite a good life with regular food, companionship and the chance to harrass foreigners on bikes.
This nun also pointed out the best place for me to leave my bike where the monkeys wouldn't get a chance to play with it. There were several signs around warning people about these mischeivous mammals. One very subdued and sorry-looking monkey who had become a problem was suffering the consequences. He was now stuck in a cage with only a stuffed toy tiger to play with.
One of the highlights of a temple like this, which has a long history and several rambling parts to it that merge into the hill itself, is all the little details. There often seems to be scope for the builders, craftsmen and designers to add some character in temples in a way that the rest of our buildings lack. Amongst all the glittering finery there are often funny little sculptures and unexpectedly beautiful corners.
I wonder if the monkeys themselves painted this face
A traditional Chinese lion statue wearing a lion wig! A temple with a playful side
There is probably an explanation...
The other major interest at Khao Bandai-It temple is its cave. Its interior has an interesting circular route that is almost long and winding enough for you to feel lost, but not quite. There is enough lighting that you never need a torch but not so much that it no longer feels like a cave. There is also a smoothed cement floor with steps up the sloping parts. A lot of effort has gone into making it accessible to most people and in this sense it is one of the best I have seen. However, if you are looking for nature then this is not a cave for you, although, there are some tomb bats and others in the darkest recesses.
As in all temple caves this one has many showy Buddha statues including a large reclining one, but again there are other surprising little details if you are willing to look for them. Characterful faces added to the rock and a variety of animals including a long serpent wrapped around the wall as you enter the cave.
Rain gutters elsewhere don't have such character!
Dogs here have a habit of leaving their pawprints in cement but this one is too carefully done and only a single print so I think it's probably a deliberate mark left by a craftsman
There is a lot of repetition in Thai temples but it would be a big mistake to assume they are all basically the same. There is a lot of individual character with many influences playing a role over the temple's lifetime, such as, the interests of different abbots, the physical nature of the site and the local community. And a lot of this character lies in the little details that are all too easy to miss!
A Chinese-style Buddha statue with a hole in his belly! Apparently it's there to throw coins into for good luck
