Krabi

Tiger Caves

The temple is located about 3km from the town towards North East. Wat Tham Seua is known as a center for meditation. Its spectacular setting in the Ao Luk Thanu mountain ranges provides the necessary quiet atmosphere for meditation.

For years, the name of the temple came about as the cave temple is aptly named because of the rock outgrowth nearby resembling a tiger's claw. Now I read on the internet speculating another new hear say - a Tiger used to live in the caves

This temple complex not only serves as a religious site for the monks who live and worship there, but also features a maze of natural caves in an overgrown jungle valley where stone tools, pottery remains and the moulds for making Buddha footprints have been excavated. 

Some 250 Monks and Nuns live in the temple compounds at the moment.

When you are in the complex, you can either venture it up the hills to reach a view point. The1,260 steps to the hill top. The commanding view all around shall be worthy of taking the strain to climb the hill.

Or choose a short cultural tour to learn about the lifestyle of Forest monks. This would be a nice and easy walk - only 130 steps up and you reach the place where monks live in their small cottages. The whole area is full of tiny caves and limestone rock formations. Archaeologists have found remnants of ancient habitations as old as from stone age. Stone tools, shards of pottery and beads, idols of clay have all been unearthed which bear testimony to the cultural heritage of the area.

Part 1 The Temple compound

1.Entrance to Wat Tham Seua -Tiger Caves

An important "Must-See" destination for visitors to Krabi town.

Just 5 kms north of Krabi and then 2 kms east. There is this temple complex. Having seen the set-up, I was surprised that many of the devotees through viewing the donation list, were Malaysians and Singaporeans

2. Entrance - Temple & Caves

There was the usual temple buildings with a glass caged mummy. The legend of the temple surround the cults of one abbot Ajaan Jamnien. Many young women comes here to practice as Eight-precept Nuns.

Picture here shows descending steps into the enclave

 3. Dress Code

Managed to photograph this simple map as souvenir.

4. Kwan Yin Statue

efore visitor enters the temple or other spots on the temple ground  is this famed Kwan Yin statue in the temple ground

5. Pagoda & Kwan Yin Statue

Before visitor enters the temple or other spots on the temple ground. Would meet up with this famed Kwan Yin statue in the temple ground

6. Entrance - Kwan Yin Pagoda

There was the Kwan Yin in close up

7. Entrance - Temple Ground

Flow stones and Gour pools formed by water triggering from the limestone cliff

8. Entrance - Temple foreground

Anothert overall view of the spacious temple ground

9. Entrance - Mini stupas and caves

Other complexes beside the main temple building

Part 2 The Temple itself

10. Recent additions

New additions in recent years to make the temple more dramatic for the benefit of photo snapping tourist - Tigers to signify this destination.

11. Main Temple Complex

 A long time icon - statute of Jamnien abbot mummified Ajaan

12. Sections of Temple

Other halls

13. Halls in Caves

Prayer chambers within shallow cavs

14. Sections of the temple complex

I am not very familiar with the layout or the significance of each chamber

15 Alter inside deep cave

caught up with this small section

16. Close-up - Alter inside cave

Beautiful Flowstones behind alter

Part 3 - The Forest Sanctuary

 The highlight of this place to me was not the temple complex as there are temples all over Thailand but rather the area to accommodate the Forest Monk, which i read about for the first time.

So this is a very secluded and isolated sort of "sunken hole" - a pit created when the ceiling of the limestone hill collapsed. To enter this isolated area, visitor need to climb over a low cliff. Not really! The getting over the surrounding cliff was replaced by walking up concrete steps up and then down into the enclosed enclave.

17. Hiking up and down stairway

The path within the enclave led a complete circle to return to starting point at the stairways going up and out. Among the attraction is the tiny forest was this very old tree.

 Inside this sunken enclave behind the ridge, inside the compound, there would be cliff walls. The main vihara or the sanctum sanctorum is inside a small shallow limestone cave. Both sides are lined by cells like miniature caves which are called monastic cells or khutis. The area is well lit and very well maintained preserving the serenity of the environment.

The area is well lit and very well maintained preserving the serenity of the environment. Some 250 Monks and Nuns live in the temple compounds at the moment.

On my first visit, the place was populated with  "khutis", Really Spartan, Inside the "Khuki" there was only a piece of plank for the monks to lie and rest. Then there were also better fitted "bachelor pads". But it was interesting to see the lifestyle of forest monks. I was so enchanted to witness such a lifestyle of so-called forest monk.

In later years, I could see the slowly disappearing of this rudimentary arrangement. Modern amenities were introduced. There was a raised concrete platform for assembly and sight of electrical washing machines. Lucky I was among the early ones who had glimpses of the past.

19 Miusua cave

20. Miusua cave - another view

Managed to photograph this simple map as souvenir.

21.  Looking out from another Cave

Could have known its name -the cave but did not make a record

22.  Praying alters inside the Caves

This time I made a picture of the name

23. Giant Tree

Here the large old tree and see properly there were a couple of models for comparison of size of the girth

24. Trail within the sunken enclave

Picture of the scene

Part 4 - The 1,237 Steps Hill Top Temple

25. Entrance or way to go up

The "new" feature to the Tiger Cave Complex - a hike to Viewpoint. This is the entrance

26. The  1,237 Steps -Signage

Visitors here have two two scenic sites to visit. This is the one with arduous climb, taking you up to the hill top via a stairway of 1,200 steps. The commanding view all around shall be worthy of taking the strain to climb the hill.

27. The 1,237 Steps Begins - Close-up

Ooops- One more clearer picture of the signage first

28. More caution Notice Board

More signage to remind visitors

 visitors

29. The 1,237 Steps -Stairway view

Going up - enough of rest stops and view points

30. Along the 1,200 Steps

Looking down

31. The 1,200 Steps - Bends and switch back

32. The 1,200 Steps -Almost there

33. View Point - Temple

34. Panoramic View

The Ao Luk Thanu Mountain Ranges

35. The 1,200 Steps Statue

36. The 1,200 Steps -Tiny and narrow platform

37. Drone's view - The 1,200 Steps -Temple

An aerial photo taken by a drone and which I borrowed.

38. The Picture 1,237 Steps -Congratulations

Your reward - Oh! This 1,200 thingy is a Chinese tradition. We have one such temple in Ayer Itam Penang, having the same feature

The visit to the Tiger Cave is now a touristy venture overtaken by what started as place for religious pilgrimage.

Tiger Cave temple itself was made famous by Abott Ajaan Jamnien who is well known as a teacher of vipassana and metta [loving kindness] It is said that he was apprenticed at an early age by a blind lay priest and astrologer who practiced folk medicine.

This old priest had lived a celebrated life devoted his entire life to attract lots of followers. Those days many young women would come here and practiced meditation as Eight Precept nuns. Well, that's a little bit of background hearsay that I could salvage . So that history of how the temple became so popular without the tourist in the early days to re-orientate our direction - Tiger Cave!