Lopburi is the capital city of the Province of Lopburi being located approximately 100 miles north-east of Bangkok. It's quite a small town in terms of its human population which numbers about 27,000 .The city dates back around a 1000 years and was an important religious centre under the Angkor period which saw of course the building of the stunnningly magnificent Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.
During the the fifteenth century,the city became a stronghold of Ayutthaya's rulers.And became the new royal capital in the reign of King Narai the Great of the Ayutthaya kingdom in around 1650.With the king living here for about tow thirds of the year.
Today Lopburi is is most famous for the many thousands of monkeys that live free and unencumbered in and around the city. In particular they are Crab-Eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) living in particular around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot, and the nearby Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. They are actively encouraged and fed by the local citizens , particularly during the Monkey Festival which takes place in November. Like urban foxes in the UK this has meant that they are not at all afraid of humans and so they steal whatever food they can find from wherever they can find it.
The temple of Prang Sam Yo was originally a Hindu shrine, has three prangs or towers that represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva (the three Hindu gods). It was sometime later converted to a Buddhist shrine.
When a man has pity on all living creatures then only is he noble.
The Buddha
This is part of the Buddha's Face 101 Project
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