Photo © terra-z.com
The Golden Buddha is the world's largest statue, made of pure gold, which is located in the temple of Wat Treimit (Bangkok).
Scientists managed to establish only what was done during the reign of the Sukhothai dynasty (XIII-XIV century), but also the possibility that the gold statue was cast later was not lost. The egg-shaped head of the statue, characteristic of Thai sculptures of that period, indicates its belonging to the times of the existence of the medieval Thai state Sukhothai. It is also possible that the famous statue was cast in some part of India, and then it was transported to Thailand.
At some point they decided to completely hide the golden statue from the eyes of the robbers. It was completely covered with a thick layer of painted plaster, inlaid with pieces of colored glass. Made of pure gold, the statue remained for a long time among the ruins of Ayutthaya, without attracting any attention.
In 1801, the first king of Thailand, Buddha Yodfa Chulalok (Rama I), declaring Bangkok a new capital of the kingdom, ordered that the ruined Buddha statues should be transferred to Thailand. During the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851), the statue, while still stuccoed, was erected in the center of the Wat Khunaram temple.
Over time, the temple of Wat Khunaram fell into disrepair and was closed, and the Golden Buddha in 1935 was transported to the nearby temple of Wat Tremit, where it is today.
In 1954, a new building was built, where the Golden Buddha was placed. It was moved to its new location on May 25, 1955, and there are many versions of what happened next. One thing is clear - when the statue was tried to be lifted from the pedestal, the ropes broke off and the statue fell to the floor. At the same time, some pieces of plaster broke away, behind them appeared the golden surface of the statue.
Photo © terra-z.com
Photo © terra-z.com
Photo © terra-z.com
Photo © terra-z.com