Myanmar - Saddan Cave, Hpa An, Kayin state

I joined a small caving expedition to Myanmar in Jan 2009. This led to the development of Caves of Myanmar website.

We were caving in the southern part of Myanmar. We started in Kayin state, staying in Hpa An town. End of Jan is dry season. Every day there was quite a bad haze, so this spoilt a lot of photos.

This album shows Saddan Cave which is southeast of Hpa An. Saddan is a well known temple cave.

The hill and the entrance to Saddan Cave can be seen below

Saddan is the name of an elephant. Elephants are important to Buddhists and there are stone elephants at the bottom of the steps leading up to the cave.

As in all Buddhist temples in Myanmar, you have to remove your shoes at the start of the temple compound, unlike places like Thailand where you just go barefoot in the inner temple. The Burmese don't seem to worry about dirty feet when stepping onto the praying areas.

The entrance chamber - and cave snakes

and a disproportionate Buddha watches us survey

reclining Buddha

Stalagmite
There are lots of Buddhas along the wall and tablets decorating the walls

Steps lead up from the entrance chamber to the main cave passage. There is quite a lot of cave fauna, such as whip spiders and huntsmen spiders

There is also graffiti

At the end of the main passage is a large stal which was illuminated by a sunbeam

There is a small altar with a white Buddha

and a Buddha or monk with tilted head

The view from the back entrance is nice

From the back entrance of Saddan Cave we walked over to Haisin Cave. There is a lake close to Saddan,

See more on Saddan Cave.

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission