Wat Phra Phutthachai, Saraburi

Wat Phra Phutthachai - the temple of the Buddha's shadow - is built into the base of a sandstone cliff south of Saraburi town. Its object of veneration is not a statue but a faint dark silhouette on the rock face, held to be a shadow left by the Buddha, and a shrine has been built directly against the cliff to enclose it.

The image is genuinely indistinct and is outlined in gold leaf applied by pilgrims over generations. A steep stair climbs the hillside past it to a viewpoint and further small shrines among the trees, and prehistoric rock paintings have been recorded on the same cliff system.

It is quieter than the Holy Footprint temple to the north and the two are usually visited together, both being close to the Bangkok road.