Thailand has many glorious temples and revered Buddha images. But did you know the land of smiles is home to the biggest Buddha made from solid gold in the world, and, the statue has a fascinating history.
Temple of Golden Buddha, Wat Traimit and you’ll find a seated, cross-legged Buddha statue known as Phra Phuttha Maha Suwana Patimakon. Unlike many Buddha images, which are gilded, this statue is made from pure gold. Standing at 3.91 metres tall and 3.01 metres wide, it is the world’s biggest solid gold Buddha statue. It weighs a staggering five and a half tons!
The golden image perhaps looks like many other statues of the Lord Buddha, but it becomes even more interesting when you learn about the statue’s incredible history.
The gold sculpture dates back to the 13th century and measures at nearly 5 metres in height. Located in Chinatown Bangkok, this ornate temple is about 450 metres west of the Hualampong Railway Station.
It is uncertain when the statue was cast, but historians believe that it dates back to the period (1230s-1430s). It has many features from this era, though it could have been made later and influenced by the earlier styles. It is thought that when the ancient Siamese capital moved to Ayutthaya, the statue was moved too. The statue was probably relocated in the early 1400s. If the statue originated in Ayutthaya, however, it could have been made any time up until the 15th century. At some point in Ayutthaya, the highly valuable golden statue was covered with a layer of concrete with sparkling glass in an attempt to conceal its true significance and protect it from thieves. Scholars believe that this must certainly have happened before the ancient city of Ayutthaya was captured by Burmese invaders.
