Gold Budda

Gold Budda is the world's largest golden statue. Located in the Bangkok temple of Wat Trimit.

The statue, depicting a sitting Buddha, weighs five and a half tons, allegedly was made in the XIII century, during the time of the kingdom of Sukhothai. Its height is 15 feet 9 inches, and 12 feet 9 inches in diameter.

About the origin of the statue, which is today a popular attraction, at the moment nothing is known. 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 missed. The belonging of the treasure to the times of the existence of the medieval Thai state Sukhothai is indicated by the egg-shaped head of the statue, characteristic of Thai sculptures of that period. Elements of Indian culture are seen in the golden statues of Buddha, so 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. It is believed that this "masking" was held before the fall of the kingdom of Ayutthyus, in order to prevent the statue from falling into the hands of the Burmese conquerors. Made of pure gold, the statue remained for a long time among the ruins of Ayutthaya, without attracting any attention.

When analyzing the statue, it turned out that the body of the Golden Buddha is 40% gold, the head is 80%, and the hair and ears of the Buddha weighing 45 kg are 99% gold. According to rough estimates, with a gold price of $ 1,400 per troy ounce, gold in the statue costs $ 250 million.

The entrance to the Golden Buddha statue is, of course, free.

It is advisable to begin the ascent with the blessing of a monk in the temple at the foot. In order to get this farewell, you need to put in an envelope taken from novices, 20 baht. Sit on your knees in front of the monk, put an envelope with a donation on the table and go through a small ceremony: the mantras are pronounced, a white string is tied on your wrist and you are cleansed with a spray of holy water.

Make a wish. When the rope is worn, your wish will come true.

A long staircase leads to the Buddha with golden naga (snakes) on the sides. These snakes serve as railings and look from below like the feet of the Buddha.

In front of the stairs are male fortunetellers, some of them are fluent in Russian.

Going up the stairs, count the steps. If you count exactly one hundred and twenty, then you live correctly, and if you get off, it's time to clear Karma.

Climbing to the top, you will see the Big Buddha in the center and the eight Buddhas around it. These statues personify all the days of the week. Your personal protector is the Buddha, who was born with you on the same day of the week. The approximate value of the seven statues: Monday - peace and quiet; Tuesday is peaceful sleep; Wednesday is kindness (the Morning and Afternoon Buddha is responsible for Wednesday); Thursday - peace of mind for meditation; Friday is happiness; Saturday - protection from natural disasters (harmony with them); Sunday - care and love.

In general, there are only fifteen statues near the Big Buddha (eight - by the days of the week). Of the rest

The most popular is the big-bellied Buddha of Wealth (Chinese god Hotei), who has a hole in the navel area. You need to make a wish and, from a distance of several meters, get into the navel with a coin. Throw a coin in the Buddha of Wealth is not all get at once, hence the queue. Many still rub this statue tummy to fulfill their desires.

In the evening, the monks unlock the door in the back of the Buddha of Wealth and take money for the needs of the Temple.

The Big Buddha has cages with birds, by releasing which, you partially purify your Karma. Naturally, birds are released for money. This pleasure is worth 100 baht.

At the top of the hill there is a kiosk selling incense. These ritual objects are left in a special place near the Big Buddha.

You can join the groups of meditators at the Buddha. These barefoot walk around the statue in a clockwise direction.

Behind the statue of Big Buddha there is an observation deck, on which is located a pedestal with footprints of the Buddha. At these feet, pilgrims gather under a shed.