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| This
Sukhothai Traimit Golden Buddha Image you are now viewing is the
largest Golden Buddha Image in the world. It is a Buddha image
in the mara conquering attitude, the typical artistic style of
the days when Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand. It is made
of pure gold. The image is unrivalled in beauty, measuring 12
feet 5 inches in diametre and has a height of 15 feet 9 inches
from the base to the crown and it weighs approximately 5 tons.
Now more than 700 years old, it is a valuable treasure of Thailand
and of Buddhism. |
| Originally,
this golden buddha image was completely covered with plaster to
conceal it from the enemy then invading Thailand and was installed
as the principal Buddha image in the main temple buildings of
Choti-naram Temple or Wat Phrayakrai, Yannawa Distric Bangkok
in the third reign of the Chakkri Dynasty in the Ratanakosin era.
When Chotanaram Temple was deserted in about 1931, the East Asiatic
Company, with official permission, extended its operations into
the land area of the deserted temple. The Ecclesiastical Commission
then moved this golden Buddha image to the Traimit Witthayaram
Temple where it now remains, discovering in 1955 that it was made
of pure gold. Reverend Phra Visutha-thibordee, the late abbot
whose image is in the sitting position in front of this temple,
joined in the construction of the temple building for the golden
buddha image to be enshired. When the building was completed and
while preparations were being made to move this Golden Buddha
image to the building, the covering plaster was partly broken.
Only then did the people realize that it was a golden Buddha image.
Thus, it has been treasured for its historical, artistic and cultural
values to this day. Part of the covering plaster is also on display
inside the temple building. |
| Copyright
information: All pictures by Nattawud
Daoruang. Information from brochures obtained at location.
Additional information by Richard Barrow and Nattawud Daoruang.
RELATED
LINKS: Learn about the
Thailand that most tourists don't get to visit at ThailandLife.com.
Coming to Thailand on holiday or to work? Learn some Thai today
for free at LearningThai.com
and ThaiPhrasebook.com.
A list of quality web sites about Thailand can be found at SrinaiWeb.com. |
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