The Great Buddha of Thailand, also known as The Big Buddha, The Big Buddha of Thailand, Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, and Mahaminh Sakayamunee Visejchaicharn ( th, พระพุทธมหานวมินทรศากยมุนีศรีวิเศษชัยชาญ; ), was in November 2018 the tallest statue in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, the second tallest statue in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
, and the ninth-tallest in the world.
Located in the
Wat Muang temple in
Ang Thong Province, this statue stands 92 m (300 ft) high, and is 63 m (210 ft) wide. Construction commenced in 1990, and was completed in 2008. It is painted gold and made of concrete. The Buddha is in the seated posture called
Maravijaya Attitude
Māravijaya attitude or ''mara vichai'' ( th, ปางมารวิชัย, ; Khmer language, Khmer: ព្រះពុទ្ធផ្ចាញ់មារ, ''preah pud (buddha) p'chanh mea'') is an Iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and T ...
.
The statue was built following the order of Phra Kru Vibul Arjarakhun, the first abbot of Wat Muang temple, in order to commemorate the
King Bhumibol
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
of Thailand. The statue was built using the donated money from faithful Buddhists considering as the act of making merit. The budget spent on the statue was roughly 104,200,000
baht
The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...
. Not far from the statue is believed to be the Wat Muang temple. The exact origins of the temple are unknown, as the original temple was destroyed in the 17th century during the war with the Burmese - they invaded and looted the former Thai capital of Ayutthaya. The reconstruction of Wat Muang took a long time and was not completed until 1982, and 8 years later work began on the 'Big Buddha', which was completed 18 years later.
Nearby are more sculptures which depict the gods, the kings of Thailand and the events of the Siamo-Burma War.
Also around the Buddha is a park where lotus flowers grow.
Names
The statue's formal name, Phra Phuttha Mahanawamintra Sakayamunee Sri Visejchaicharn ( th, พระพุทธมหานวมินทรศากยมุนีศรีวิเศษชัยชาญ), was given by Phra Khru Vibul Arjarakun, and means "the Lord Buddha of Wiset Chai Chan, Built in Honor of
King Bhumibol
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
." The name is a blend of
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
words: Phra Phuttha (, Sanskrit ); Mahanawamintra (Bhumibol's royal title, Sanskrit ), Sakayamunee (Sanskrit ), and Visejchaicharn (Sanskrit )
The statue is also known as ''Luangpho Yai'' (หลวงพ่อใหญ่) or ''Luangpho To'' (หลวงพ่อโต); neither terms refer to any specific Buddha statue. The names literally mean Big Buddha, and are used for any colossal Buddha statue.
See also
*
Buddhism in Thailand
Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, which is followed by 95 percent of the population. Thailand has the second largest Buddhist population in the world, after China, with approximately 64 million Buddhists. Buddhism in Tha ...
*
Buddhist art
Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism. It includes depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, and ...
*
Laykyun Sekkya
*
List of tallest statues
This list of tallest statues includes completed statues that are at least tall, which was the assumed height of the Colossus of Rhodes. The height values in this list are measured to the highest part of the human (or animal) figure, but exclud ...
* Other tallest statues in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
** Phra Phuttha Chok at
Wat Khao Wong Phrachan, the 2nd-tallest (75 m.)
** Guan Yin at
Wat Huay Pla Kang, the 3rd-tallest (69 m.)
**
Luangpho Yai, the 4th-tallest (59.2 m.)
**
Phuket Big Buddha
Phuket Big Buddha, or The Great Buddha of Phuket, is a seated Maravija Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand. The official name is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Eknakiri ( th, พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี; ), ...
, the 5th-tallest (45 m.)
References
External links
Images
Outdoor sculptures in Thailand
Colossal Buddha statues
Concrete Buddha statues
2008 sculptures
Tourist attractions in Thailand
Ang Thong province
Religious buildings and structures completed in 2008
Concrete sculptures
Buddha statues in Thailand
Statues in Thailand
2008 establishments in Thailand
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