Thailand is home to many most beautiful temples, and shinning amongst them is the solid gold Buddha statue of the Wat Traimit.

The land of smiles is a synonym for magnificent temples and awe-inspiring statues of Buddha. Out of all the temples, the Wat Traimit in the Chinatown area of Bangkok is home to a sublime statue of Buddha. The statue is the world’s biggest statue made out of pure and solid gold. It is about 3. 91 metres tall and 3.01 metres wide and weighs a whopping five and a half tonnes. As it is beautiful; but it also carries a history and fascinating story behind it. So, let us know more about the gold Buddha statue of Wat Traimit.

History.

The statue is said to be created by the magnificent early Buddhist’s craftsmen. They wanted a statue that could replicate the physical characteristics of Buddha. This was done simply to encourage respect and reverence to Buddha. The Buddha statue also aims to narrate the captivating story of Siddharth and his journey of becoming Gautam Buddha. The oldest Thai script suggests that the statue was constructed during the time of the Sukhothai dynasty in the 13^th and 14^th century, but we still are not sure about the exact date of its construction.

Protection from the Burmese soldiers.

In the 18^th century, the Burmese army marched upon the Ayutthaya kingdom where Sukhothai was currently ruling. Burmese army was known for its ferocity and often looted the gold and precious gems from the statues and temples. The people of Ayutthaya fiercely wanted to protect the golden Buddha from the Burmese army. They covered the statue with coloured glass and terracotta and hid it from the piercing glances of invaders.  When in the year 1782, King Rama first formally established his capital from Ayutthaya to Bangkok as it seemed more secure with river and swamp around the house. King Rama ordered to restore the broken statues from Ayutthaya. Out of all other artefacts, Golden Buddha too came to Bangkok. Here the statue spent almost 100 years in oblivion; then, in the year 1935, it was brought to its current residence.

The golden statue.

There are many accounts of how people first noticed the golden interior of the statue. But in the 50s, it was discovered that a chip of terracotta fell down, and the golden statue was revealed. And the rest they say is history.

So, would you like to witness the grandeur of the statue in person?