Interior of the vihara of the Phra Phuttha Chinnarat
Last updated: 17
Jun
2022

Buddha statues in Thailand – iconography & examples

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Buddha statues in Thailand are typically made of stone, wood, clay, or metal cast.

While there are such figures in all regions where Buddhism is commonly practiced, the appearance, composition and position of the statues vary greatly from country to country.

In Thailand the statues of Buddha recall specific episodes during his travels and teachings that are familiar to the Thai according to an iconography with specific rules.

Golden Buddha (statue)

The Golden Buddha, officially titled Phra Phuttha Maha Suwanna Patimakon, commonly known in Thai as Phra Sukhothai Traimit, is a gold Maravijaya Attitude seated Buddharupa statue, with a weight of 5.5 tonnes. It is located in the temple of Wat Traimit, Bangkok, Thailand. At one point in its history the statue was covered with a layer of stucco and coloured glass to conceal its true value, and it remained in this condition for almost 200 years, ending up as what was then a pagoda of minor significance. During relocation of the statue in 1955, the plaster was chipped off and the gold revealed.

Emerald Buddha

The is an image of the meditating Gautama Buddha seated in a meditative posture, made of a semi-precious green stone, clothed in gold. and about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall. The image is considered the sacred palladium of Thailand. It is housed in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Great Buddha of Thailand

The , also known as The Big Buddha, The Big Buddha of Thailand, Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, and Mahaminh Sakayamunee Visejchaicharn, was in November 2018 the tallest statue in Thailand, the second tallest statue in Southeast Asia, and the ninth-tallest in the world.

Leela attitude

is an attitude of Buddha in Thai of which the Buddha is stepping with his right foot and his right hand swinging and the other hand put towards to the front. The attitude is sometimes called the Walking Buddha.

Luang pho phet

Luang pho phet

The is a type of image of the Buddha found in Thailand. A luang pho phet depicts the Buddha in the Diamond Lotus Position.

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, shortened to Ming Mongkol Buddha. Sitting atop Nakkerd Hill near Chalong, construction began in 2004. Expansion of the base was ongoing as of 2015. By 2017, 80 percent of the project had been completed. It is the third-tallest statue in Thailand behind only the Great Buddha of Thailand and Luangpho Yai.

Phra Phuttha Chinnarat

Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat (Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนมหาธาตุ; “Temple of the Great Jewelled Reliquary”), colloquially referred to as Wat-Phra-Si or Wat Yai (Thai: วัดใหญ่; “Big Temple”), is a Buddhist temple (wat) in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand, where it is located on east bank of Nan River, near Naresuan Bridge and opposite Phitsanulok Provincial Hall. It is about 337 km from Bangkok.

Phra Phuttha Sihing

The is a highly revered image of the Gautama Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand, second in importance only after the Emerald Buddha. The image is currently housed at the Phutthaisawan Hall, now the Bangkok National Museum. The image was brought to Bangkok from Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai in 1795 by Viceroy Maha Sura Singhanat, the brother of King Rama I.

Comments

  1. A complementary list of Big Buddhas in Thailand that were not included above:
    – Wat Muang
    – Wat Bhurapha Piram
    – Wat Pho
    – Wat Lokayasutharam
    – Wat Intharawihan
    – Wat Thipsukhontharam
    – Wat Srisoonthorn
    – Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan
    – Wat Prathat Doi Kham
    – Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj
    – Pattaya Big Buddha
    – Phuttha Monthon Buddha
    – Koh Samui Big Buddha

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