The iconic Tiger Cave Temple holds some superb trivia that will literally blow your mind.
Tiger Cave Temple, originally known as Wat Tham Suea, is one of the most sacred as well as significant Buddhist temples in Thailand. Located atop a high cliff in the northeast part of Krabi, the temple is widely revered for the 'footprint of the Buddha'. Also, the entire area, surrounded by a thick tropical rain forest, is home to a number of giant Buddha statues along with natural limestone caves and huge trees. The visitors need to climb through 1,237 steps to reach the summit of the main temple. Once you reach there, be ready to get amazed seeing the spectacular panoramic views of the Krabi town, surrounding rainforests and especially the magnificent Andaman Sea. The temple site also serves as an important meditation center among both the locals and tourists. The incredible architecture, the spiritual ambience and the surrounding natural beauty offer a divine experience which you can cherish for lifetime.
Here are some interesting things that you should know about the Tiger Cave Temple.
The temple's name 'Tiger Cave' comes from the tiger paw prints on the walls of the cave.
There are several stories about the foundation of the temple. In 1975, a Vipassana monk named Jumnean Seelasettho was meditating in the cave. He suddenly saw some tigers roaming around the cave. Thus, he decided to name the temple Wat Tham Sua. On the other hand, some believe that there used to be a huge tiger living in the caves, which gave the temple its name.
Several historical remnants have been discovered from this site over the years. Therefore, the temple complex is considered as an important historical as well as archaeological center.
There's a huge Golden Buddha statue at the top of the temple. Some other highlights include the dragon sculptures, superb artworks, amazing ornaments and other wonderful buildings.
There are some quarters across the site for the monks to reside.
While there's no strict dress code, the visitors need to wear clothes covering the full body to enter the temple premises. Make sure that your shoulders, chest and knees are fully covered up, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the Thai culture.
The temple remains open from 5 am to 7 pm every day. But early morning and late afternoon are the best time to visit the site.
The visitors don't need to pay any entry fee to go inside the Tiger Cave Temple. However, there's a donation box where you can donate as per your wish.
