There are objects in the world that you seem to know everything about, that you see repeatedly in photographs, but all the same, when you once again encounter an interesting image, you admire the people who did it.
Let's take another look and read about this world famous Buddha statue.
In the Chinese province of Sichuan, near the city of Leshan, a giant sculpture of Maitreya Buddha is carved into a rock. For 1000 years, the Leshan statue, 71 meters high, held the first position in the ranking of the tallest monuments in the world. According to the ancient architects, the great must be embodied in gigantic proportions, because Maitreya is revered by all schools of Buddhism. Maitreya is the future Teacher of humanity. Sooner or later he will appear on Earth, achieve enlightenment and preach dharma - the path of piety. The Leshan Buddha statue is one of the oldest in the world. It is installed in the place where three rivers merge, the oncoming waters of which create dangerous whirlpools.
As the legend goes, the monk Hai Tun decided to appease the elements by carving a sculptural image of the supreme deity in the rock. For many years the monk wandered through cities and villages, collecting money for the construction of the statue, and in 713 he began construction. Hai Tong died when the statue of Buddha was made only to the knees, but he managed to achieve his noble goal.
While cutting down the statue in the rock, the workers threw stone fragments into the river, as a result of which the water streams were partially covered. Thus, it turned out that the Buddha tamed the stormy temper of the river. According to legend, when the local ruler demanded that Hai Tun give him the donations collected for the construction of the statue, he replied: “I would rather gouge out my eyes than give away the treasures of Buddha.” Soon the ruler came to the monk for money, but he pulled out a knife and fulfilled his oath, depriving himself of an eye. The confused extortionist retreated. After the death of the monk, his work was continued by the rulers of Sichuan, and 90 years later, in 803, the statue of the Enlightened One was completed.
Buddha statue in Leshan - the embodiment of the universe. A giant, 70-meter tall Buddha sits facing the expanse of water, with his hands on his knees. His huge, 15-meter head rises level with the rock, and his feet rest against the river. The Buddha's ears (each 7 meters long) are carved from wood and skillfully attached to the stone face. The enlightened one is “dressed” in a stone tunic, the folds of which drain rainwater, preventing rock cracking.
In the walls surrounding the statue are carved stone images of 90 bodhisattvas - spiritual mentors of people. At the head of the giant there is a pagoda and a temple complex with a park. Against the background of the monument, spectators appear to be tiny insects.
A stream of tourists, like a swarm of bees, surrounds the Buddha's head on all sides and cascades down the rock to his feet. A small group of tourists can sit on any of the giant’s toes (the length of the toe is 1.6 m). Each viewer tries to find the most convenient point for viewing, but is forced to examine the statue only from a side angle. From the top of the rock, the impartial face of the Enlightened One is visible, while his legs and body are hidden under the ledge. Below, the entire panorama is occupied by the knees of Buddha, above which a gigantic face can be seen somewhere above.
The statue is not created for contemplation: in Buddhism, the entire universe is nothing more than the body of the Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of Truth (dharma-kaya), and it is incomprehensible through the senses or the mind. But it is Dharma-kaya that connects a person with the truly existing, allowing him to achieve the purest and highest state of “supramundane” existence. As they said in China: “We achieve Perfect Enlightenment when the heart merges with the base of the stone monument.” Interestingly, in the Middle Ages, the body of Buddha was hidden under a 13-tiered temple-tower, but this building burned down in a fire.
The Big Buddha impresses not only with its size, but also with its expressiveness: the appearance of the giant literally breathes nobility, greatness and kindness.
Maitreya Buddha in Leshan - pacifier of the water element.
Inside the sculptural work there is a skillfully constructed drainage structure, which is almost impossible to notice from the outside. Grottoes and grooves, hidden in the folds of clothing, on the hands, head, and chest of the Buddha, serve as drainage systems and protect the sculpture from weathering and destruction.
At the top, on the mountain itself, at the head of the Buddha, there is a 38-meter-high pagoda of souls, as well as a temple complex and a park. On the walls around the giant there are carved images of Bodhisattvas (there are more than 90 of them) and numerous images of Buddha.
Maitreya is considered the future incarnation of the Great Teacher of humanity, and he is revered by all Buddhist schools, believing that one day he will appear on Earth, will definitely achieve enlightenment and begin to preach to people the path of piety - the dharma.
Buddha statue in Leshan installed at the confluence of three rivers. Once upon a time, their rapid flows, meeting, created stormy and dangerous whirlpools. According to legend, the Buddhist monk Hai Tun, seeing this, decided to pacify the elements by sculpting a giant sculpture of the Teacher in the adjacent mountain gorge.
Now, having arrived in Leshan, any tourist can admire the impressive sculpture. The face of Maitreya Buddha is turned towards the river, giant hands folded on his knees; its 15-meter head reaches the top of the rock, and its huge legs (toes are about 1.6 m long) almost touch the river. The Teacher's 7-meter ears, carved from durable wood, are skillfully fitted to the stone face. The Buddha is dressed in a tunic, along the carefully carved stone folds of which water flows during rain, preventing the destruction of the rock.
At the head of the colossal monument there is a temple complex with a small park, and in the rocks surrounding the statue there are carved statues of 90 bodhisattvas - the spiritual mentors of humanity.
In the Middle Ages, the Buddha sculpture was hidden under a 13-tiered temple built above it, but this building was destroyed by fire, and now, as before, the rocks are the only walls for the giant statue.
Interestingly, it is almost impossible to completely take in the Buddha statue in Leshan: an impartial face is open from above, but the legs are hidden under a mountain ledge, and from below the legs can be seen perfectly, but the face of the statue is almost completely covered by huge knees. The best angle is from the side, but it doesn’t allow you to see the entire monument in detail.
This feature was not given to the sculpture by chance. It is perfectly consistent with the Buddhist doctrine of the universe, according to which the whole world is the body of the Buddha (Buddha-kaya) or the body of the Law (Dharma-kaya), which is incomprehensible from the point of view of the senses and mind. That's why buddha statue in china not intended for viewing. Being the material embodiment of the Dharma-kaya, it connects people with the truly existing, allowing them to achieve a special state of the purest supermundane existence, which, according to Buddhists, is the true goal of every person’s life. On this occasion, the Chinese say the following: “We achieve Perfect Enlightenment at the moment when our heart merges with the base of the stone statue.”
And you can definitely be sure that this statue does not contain
In recent years, Mongolia has been busy raising funds for the construction of a giant statue of Maitreya Buddha in the vicinity of Ulaanbaatar. The widely circulated sketch of the monument is amazing. A graceful copy of the Zanabazar sculpture made of bronze, 54 meters high, stands against the backdrop of a 108-meter snow-white stupa with gilding. The contents of the statue, usually consisting of prayers and mantras printed on paper, soil from sacred places, particles of relics of Buddhist saints, medicinal plants and other things, are prepared in Indian Dharamsala. The project has already received the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Mongolian government considers it one of its priorities. At the same time, in Ulaanbaatar there are already two giant Buddhist statues: the 27-meter high Avalokiteshvara in the main temple of the Gandan monastery and the Golden Buddha at the foot of Mount Zaisan-tolgoi, 23 meters high.
Why does Mongolia need another terribly expensive project within the framework of Buddhist monumental megalomania? This is a complex question to which there is no single answer. Not only religious (it is believed that the erection of such statues generates great merit and improves collective karma) and economic (tourists value spectacular attractions, especially with the prefix “most”) play a role here. The phenomenon of Buddhist monumental sculpture has cultural and political dimensions. Let's start with culture.
Destruction of Buddha statues in Bamiyan
Huge statues of Buddha and Buddhist deities were erected by ancient masters. Let us remember the long-suffering standing Buddhas of Bamyan (58 and 38 meters), which, alas, have recently ceased to exist. Kushan Buddhists carved them out of the rock back in the 6th century. Giant Buddha of Leshan (803 year, 71 meters), Buddha from Lashaoji (559 year, 60 meters), Amitabha Buddha from Xishan (576 year, 41 meters), seated Buddha from Shandan (35 meters, 7th century), Avalokiteshvara from Tazawako ( 35 meters, 8th century), Maitreya Buddha from Dunhuang (694, 26 meters) and others were built during the heyday of Buddhism in Central Asia and China during the Kushan Empire and the Tang Dynasty. These monuments are still among the top hundred tallest monuments in the world, despite the fact that the level of modern technology has risen high. The Bamiyan Buddhas, until their tragic death in 2001, remained the tallest statues carved from stone (today the palm in this category has passed to the Leshan Seated Buddha). Much more similar monuments were erected, but not all have survived to this day, having died from earthquakes (like Kyoto’s Vairochana in 1596) or at the hands of fanatics (the great Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb tried to demolish the Bamiyan Buddhas before the Taliban).
Of course, the most important incentive for the construction of such colossi was and remains the desire to touch eternity. The grander the sculpture, the greater the chance that future generations will see it. Only earthquakes with an amplitude of at least 7 points or anti-tank mines in combination with massive air defense shelling can destroy such monuments. Taliban methodology. Another important idea that guided the initiators of construction was and remains the desire to accumulate virtues. Buddhists believe that systematically performing good deeds, especially for the glory of the teachings, contributes to the accumulation of good karma. Accordingly, the taller and grander the statue, the greater the effect it will have on the fate of those involved in its construction. Often, statues of this size were built to calm the wrath of the elements (for example, river floods), since it was believed that Buddha images could have a beneficial effect not only on people, but also on the area.
Leshan Buddha statue in China
But the main meaning that the creators put into the size of the statue is the ability to influence the consciousness of believers. Just as the towers of Gothic cathedrals soaring into the sky and the light penetrating through the stained glass windows were designed to evoke thoughts about the Creator and his heavenly kingdom in the soul of a Christian, so the colossal statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas served as the best object for meditation. The grandiose dimensions were intended to generate in the practitioner an atmosphere of the greatness of the cosmic consciousness of the Buddha. Just as the contemplation of snowy mountains or the endless ocean can put us in a special state, so the giant Buddhas created an atmosphere of majestic calm and purity around themselves. It is not for nothing that we see numerous monastic cells around these monuments. As Osho put it, Buddhist statues are not idols, but sacred geometry, which is continued in the consciousness of the Buddhist.
Buddhist monumental sculpture was not without politics. If you take one look at the list of the tallest Buddha statues, you can immediately notice that most of them were erected in this millennium: Buddha from the Lushan Spring Temple (2002, 128 meters), Buddha from Monywa in Myanmar (2008 ., 116 meters), Bodhisattva Guanin from Hainan (2005, 108 meters), Great Buddha from Thailand (2008, 92 meters), Guanin from Vietnamese Da Nang (2010, 70 meters). standing Maitreya from Taiwan (2011, 58 meters), Buddha from Sri Lankan Aluthgama (2007, 49 meters). The list can go on for a long time. In this context, the construction of a Maitreya statue in Mongolia seems quite logical.
What is this? Vanity fair of Buddhist states? So Tibetan refugees have long joined this strange championship, initiating the grandiose Maitreya project to erect a Buddha statue 152 meters high! The preliminary cost estimate for the project is $20 million. It is known that the project is subject to severe criticism from the Indian public, who believe that against the backdrop of many social problems and dire poverty, the construction of such an expensive statue in one of the poorest states of India looks like a feast during the plague. This criticism has already forced the project organizers to significantly moderate their ambitions.
The avalanche-like process of building giant Buddha statues began after the barbaric destruction by the Taliban of the Buddha statues we have repeatedly mentioned in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Then, despite numerous appeals from the UN, the international community and such Buddhist countries as Japan, China, Sri Lanka, as well as India, the Taliban decided to destroy the ancient monuments. Even Islamic countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt came under pressure on the Taliban government. And in Afghanistan itself, many opposed this action. Japan offered a lot of money in exchange for abandoning plans to destroy the monuments. New Delhi has voiced the idea of moving the monuments to Indian territory. However, on March 6, 2001, the statues were destroyed. Mullah Muhammad Omar on the results of the operation: “Muslims should be proud that they razed idols to the ground. Praise be to Allah that we destroyed them."
The Buddhist response was unexpected. Like a chain reaction, projects to erect giant Buddhas were initiated one after another in the countries of Buddhist Asia. I am by no means suggesting that all of these projects are a direct response to the barbarity of the Taliban. I want to say that behind all these initiatives is the shock that Buddhists experienced, and along with them the rest of humanity, when the ancient Buddhas, after one and a half thousand years of majestic existence, collapsed to the ground under the jubilation of Islamic fundamentalists. Having collapsed to the ground, the Bamiyan Buddhas caused many other Buddha images to emerge from oblivion - from Sri Lanka to Mongolia. Buddhist monumental megalomania has received a new impetus, and no one knows when this impetus will fade away.
Mortar
kinds
1) Buddhist stupa made of stone. Tibet.
2) Stupa in the Japanese pagoda.
The shape of the stupa in different regions of India was determined by local traditions,
but in plan it must be round with a round or square base.
In the system of Buddhist symbolism, the stupa was considered as a vertical model of the universe
(a square is a symbol of order and stability, a circle is a symbol of movement and development).
The prototype of an architectural structure such as a stupa could be round stone burial mounds with a circular fence with a gate, or an Indian hut in the shape of a beehive with a pole inside supporting the ceiling at the zenith. In Vedic times, such huts were common in northern India. Buddha himself, when asked about the shape of his future tomb, allegedly instead of answering, folded his cloak several times, on which he placed, turning upside down, his round alms bowl.
What geometric figures lie at the base of the stupa?
What does each of them symbolize?
What served as the prototype for the stupa? (Find illustrations of these structures, show clear similarities).
GREAT STUPA
3rd century BC – 1st century AD in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh.
The base of the stupa is a stone drum with a strong fence along the edge and a double staircase. Symbolism The base of the stupa symbolizes the earth, the world of the god Mara, personifying death and various temptations to which man is exposed in the world.
Above the base rises a majestic hemisphere made of layers of raw brick, lined with blocks of red sandstone. Symbolism The stone hemisphere, according to the ancient cosmological scheme, represents the second level of the Universe, the world of gods and demigods, means the nirvana of Buddha and himself, affirming the physicality of the teacher’s existence. In addition, it is also a model of Mount Meru, a traditional Buddhist site of worship.
In the center of the hemisphere of the stupa there is a cubic chamber with a reliquary urn. Symbolism This is an image of the highest level of the Universe, where only those beings who have achieved Enlightenment move.
The stupa has a vertical axis in the form of a mast from the base to the top, which is completed by a pyramid of umbrellas. Symbolism The central pole symbolizes the axis of the Universe, the World Tree, victory over ignorance and death. Umbrellas, attributes of royal power, and protection from evil deeds, in Buddhism mean the steps of ascent to nirvana.
List the 4 main attributes of the Great Stupa at Sanchi. Describe one of them?
Find an image of a stupa in Nepal (Swayambanath). Conduct a comparative analysis: what does the stupa in Nepal have in common with the Stupa in Sanchi?
What are the differences?
Which elements of the Swayambhanath indicate dogmatic features?
Sculpture.
Big Buddha
The height of the statue is 34 meters, weight is 250 tons, which made the Big Buddha the tallest bronze Buddha statue until 2007. To reach the statue, visitors must climb a staircase of 268 steps, although there is also a small winding road leading to the Buddha. The Big Buddha faces north, which is unique since all large Buddha statues face south.
Buddhism introduced very specific social ideas into art; These are ideas of non-commitment of evil and violence, which in art have acquired a concrete figurative character. For example, since ancient times there has been a traditional sculptural image of the thousand-armed Buddha: the Buddha sits on a lotus flower, with a thousand hands fluttering around his head and shoulders like a halo (the number, of course, is arbitrary), in the open palms of which a thousand eyes are depicted, respectively. The social meaning of this religious image is as follows: Buddha has a thousand eyes in order to see all the injustices committed on earth, and a thousand hands in order to extend a helping hand to all those who suffer, to take away grief and misfortune from them.
What social meaning does the “neutralism” of Buddhism acquire?
The study of Buddhism has inspired people to create masterpieces of art around the world, the most notable of these works being the statues of Buddha known as Buddharupa (literally translated as the Awakened One) that have adorned Buddhist temples for generations. Listed here are ten of the most famous and beautiful statues in the world.
Some of these Buddha statues are among the largest in the world.
10. Buddha statue at Hussain Sagar lake
The Buddha statue is located in the center of an artificial lake in the city of Hyderabad and is one of the most famous Buddha statues in India. It is a whopping 17 meters (56 feet) tall and weighs 320 tons. It is the largest monolithic statue in all of India and was made by a group of artisans from a single piece of stone. Unfortunately, during the installation of the statue in 1992, it toppled over and fell into the lake, killing 8 workers. The government restored the statue and placed it in the middle of the lake.
9. Tian Tan Buddha
The Tian Tan Buddha is sometimes called the Big Buddha and is located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The statue, made of bronze and completed in 1993, is the main feature of Po Lin Monastery, symbolizing the harmony between man, nature, people and religion. The statue is called Tian Tan Buddha because its base is an exact copy of the Tian Tan Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-tiered altar. At 34 meters (110 feet) tall, the Tian Tan Buddha is presented in a pose of calm. His right hand is raised to relieve disaster. His left hand rests on his knee, symbolizing happiness.
8. Buddha in Monywa
Monywa is a city in central Myanmar. Located on the banks of the Chindwin River. To the east of the city are Po Khaung Taung, a series of hills where you can see the Maniwa Buddha - the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world. 90 meters (300 feet) long. The head alone is 18.2 meters (60 feet) tall. Maniwa Buddha was built in 1991 and is hollow inside, allowing visitors to walk inside the statue from head to toe. Inside the figure are metal images of the Buddha and his disciples, depicting various important events in the life of the Buddha.
Recently, a giant standing Buddha statue was built at the top of Po Kaung Hills. 132 meters (433 ft) tall and is one of the largest Buddha statues in the world.
7. Buddha head in Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand that is home to one of the most unusual statues of the Awakened One (Buddha) in the world. Among the ruins of Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic) are the remains of a Buddha statue, whose body was lost for centuries, but the head of this statue miraculously found its home among the vines and tree roots. Around this statue there are many architectural structures that have survived the attacks of time.
6. Gal Viharaya
Located in central Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa is home to one of the most spectacular Buddha images in the world - the Gal Viharaya. This massive rock temple was built by Parakramabah the Great in the 12th century. The main attraction of the temple is 4 large Buddha statues carved directly into the granite rock. Among these giant stone figures is a reclining Buddha statue, 14 meters (46 ft) long, and a standing statue, 7 meters (23 ft) high.
5. Ushiku Daibutsu
Ushiku Daibutsu is located in the city of Ushiku in Japan. The statue, completed in 1995, is one of the tallest statues in the world - 120 meters (394 ft) high including a 10 meter (30 ft) base and a 10 meter tall lotus, which is the platform for the statue. Visitors to the Buddha statue can take an elevator to the platform where the observation deck is located.
4. Temple of the Reclining Buddha
Located in Bangkok, Wat Pho is famous for its Reclining Buddha statue. This is one of the largest temples in Bangkok, as well as one of the oldest, it was built almost 200 years ago, before Bangkok became the capital of Thailand. Wat Pho holds a record of sorts in Thailand as it houses the largest Reclining Buddha statue in the country and the largest number of Buddha images. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha Statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and depicts the final moments of the Buddha's life before he passed on to Nirvana. The eyes and legs of the statue are decorated with mother-of-pearl engraving. On the soles of the feet are depicted the 108 auspicious characteristics of a true Enlightened One.
3. Great Buddha of Kamakura
Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Shu sect located in the city of Kamakura in Japan. The temple is famous for its large Buddhist statue (or Daibutsu). Cast in bronze. The Great Buddha is more than 13 meters (40 feet) tall and weighs about 93 tons.
The first mention of the statue goes back to 1252. It is believed that the statue was erected by the Buddhist monk Joko, who also collected donations for the construction of the statue. Although the Buddha statue was originally housed in a small wooden temple, the Great Buddha is now outdoors since the temple was washed away by a tsunami in the 15th century.
2. Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Another one of the Buddhist temples in Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, located on the grounds of the Grand Royal Palace. The main building is the central structure that houses the Emerald Buddha, one of the oldest and most famous Buddha statues in the world.
The jade statue is decorated with a golden robe. The Emerald Buddha, according to legend, was created in India in 43 BC. in the city of Pataliputra, where he remained for 300 years. In the 4th century AD, it was taken to Sri Lanka by Buddhist monks to save it from destruction. The statue eventually made its way to Thailand and was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1779. The statue has three different sets of golden robes, which are changed by His Majesty the King of Thailand during the ceremony of the changing of the seasons.
1. Giant Buddha Leshan
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a giant rock-cut Buddha statue in Sichuan Province, western China. The majestic sculpture represents the figure of Maitreya - the Bodhisattva, traditionally depicted in a sitting position. Construction that began in 713 during the Tang Dynasty was not completed until 803, even with the availability of a large workforce.
Thus, 90 years were spent on construction. This statue is immortalized in stories, poems and historical writings as the largest image of Buddha in the world. The sculpture is approximately 71 meters (233 ft) tall and has 3 meters (11 ft) fingers on each of its enormous hands. Today it is a popular tourist site in China.
Hello, dear readers.
Today we will talk about the statues of the Great Teacher - Siddhartha Gautama, which are located in Thailand.
Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand. Thais profess the Theravada teachings, a movement that originated from Siddhartha Gautama himself. There is no concept of God in the literal sense of the word, and the numerous Buddha statues in Thailand were erected not for worship, but as a tribute to the Great Teacher and the wisest of the wise.
How many Buddhas are there in Thailand?
The answer is simple - about the same number as there are Buddhist monasteries, and there are slightly less than 30,000 of them in this country. Moreover, in some temple complexes there is not one, but several statues of the Enlightened One.
It is customary to single out the most significant, even somewhat pompous, structures:
- Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Bangkok);
- Temple of Truth (Pattaya);
- Temple of Hell and Heaven (Bang Saen);
- Temple of the Golden Buddha (Bangkok);
- Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Bangkok);
- Temple of the Big Buddha (Phuket).
We will consider them.
Not every temple complex has statues that are unique or stand out with some special history, but European tourists are not always interested in the statues themselves. In about 50% of cases, they come here not even to look at the Enlightened One, but to get acquainted with a unique place. These are the Tiger Monastery and the Temple of Hell and Heaven.
Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Bangkok)
The Thais call it the main, most beautiful and largest pearl in the country's temple necklace. This shrine was built on the grounds of the royal palace in Bangkok specifically for the statue of the Enlightened One, which is made of jadeite - a type of jade - and decorated with gold.
The relic was accidentally discovered in 1436 in the ruins of one of the pagodas in Chiang Rai. This small figurine, only 45 cm tall, was covered with plaster and clay and at first glance did not represent any value. The abbot of one of the monasteries took her to his chambers. However, after some time, a piece of the “growth” fell off, revealing to the monk an amazing green color. Soon pilgrims flocked to the monastery.
Today the shrine is well guarded - it is covered with bulletproof glass. Three times a year she is changed - the events are arranged as solemn ceremonies.
Temple of Truth (Pattaya)
It is considered the largest wooden structure in all of Thailand and, perhaps, in the whole world. Built without a single nail. The main feature is endless construction. The author of the idea is philanthropist Leku Viriyaphan. Construction of the building began in 1981 and is still under construction. The estimated completion date is 2025.
A rather large statue of the Enlightened One is carved from wood and worked out to the smallest detail.
The entire structure is also decorated with carved figures - religious and mythical heroes, deities. This is real man-made wooden architecture.
Viriyaphan was told that as soon as the construction was completed, he would die. The idea of reincarnation is the basis of eternal construction.
Buddha in the Temple of Hell and Heaven (Bang Saen)
One of the temple complexes near Phuket, 90 km from Bangkok and 40 km from Pattaya, if you move east. The exact location is the resort town of Bang Saen. Here visitors can look at numerous Statues of the Enlightened One (for example, at the very beginning they are greeted by a statue of the Laughing Buddha), but they come not only for this, but also in order to study the Thai idea of hell and heaven.
The monastery is located in a picturesque place and surrounds a cave, the territory is covered with jungle, because of which the perception of what is happening here is much more acute.
Surprisingly, the place is not on the tourist list, although there is something to see. All the circles of Hell, which geographically occupy almost 80% of the total area, are masterfully shown. One can only be amazed at how sophisticated the sculptor’s mind was - the figures are grotesque, but worked out to the smallest detail.
The attraction is open until 6 pm. Free admission. It's better to visit on weekdays - Thais come here on weekends to get a fair shake in case they suddenly want to sin.
Temple of the Golden Buddha (Bangkok)
The statue is made of pure gold and weighs 5 tons. And this is the honest truth. But until some time no one knew about it - the outside of the sculpture was covered with a thick layer of plaster and looked unattractive.
He was transported many times. The last time was sent to storage (1957). It rained during transportation, and to top it all off, the statue fell. This is where the most interesting thing happened - one of the monks noticed a strange shine that was in no way characteristic of plaster. This is how the Thais received the golden Buddha.
Experts assessed the age of the statue. She is approximately 700 years old. It was filled with plaster back in the Burmese war. Since everyone who knew about it died, such a precious relic was unknown to anyone for a long time.
Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Bangkok)
The oldest in Bangkok. There are many statues of the enlightened one of various shapes and sizes, including the largest in Thailand. The complex was restored several times, most recently in the 20th century. Opened to the public in 1982.
The length of the Reclining Buddha is about 46 meters, the height is 15 meters. The statue is covered with gold, and the eyes and soles are covered with mother-of-pearl.
In the temple complex you can get a high-quality Thai massage and study yoga poses in detail - each statue of the Enlightened One is made in one of them.
Big Buddha Temple (Phuket)
The shrine is located on Nakkered Hill on the island of Phuket. Its height is 45 meters. It is made of white marble (Burmese). At its foot, a multi-level temple complex has been built since 2001:
- Level 1 – museum, souvenir shop, large gong and monks on a pedestal (live, performing a ritual, after which they hang an amulet on their hand);
- Level 2 – statues of royalty;
- Level 3 – Big Buddha statue and its 12-meter copper copy.
There are excellent views from the top of the mountain. From here it is good to take panoramic pictures of Chalong Bay, Kata and Karon beaches, and Phuket Town. If you come here in the evening, you can see an unprecedentedly beautiful sunset.
The road leading to the shrine stretches for 6 km. This distance can be walked or taken by taxi or tuk-tuk.
And one more place...
The largest Buddha statue is located in the town of Ang Thong, which is lost somewhere in the Thai outback. The height of the sculpture is almost 92 meters. It is one of the ten largest sculptures in the world, one of the five largest Buddhas, and is the largest statue of an enlightened person in Thailand.
The statue is made of reinforced concrete. It took 18 years to build. The outside was covered with a layer of gilding.
The temple complex includes many buildings and sculptures. At the feet of the Enlightened One lies a prototype of Hell and Heaven from the island of Phuket, so people with weak nerves are better off not looking here.
Statues of the Enlightened One have strictly defined poses, correspondingdays of the week. For example, lying down is Tuesday, sitting with your hands on your knees is Wednesday, and in the lotus position is Thursday.
Conclusion
Dear readers, when going to Thailand, make a list of places you definitely want to visit. And let there be Buddha statues among them - not all, at least a couple. You don't have to worship them, but these places have amazing energy and you can get very unusual experiences there.
