The Golden Reclining Buddha : Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

richmili (59)in #travelfeed • 4 years ago (edited)

Wat Pho or Wat Po is a Buddhist temple complex in Bangkok, Thailand. The complex has several Buddha statues and is famous for the Golden Reclining Buddha and one of the popular tourist attractions in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

The temple is classed as the highest grade of the first-class Royal Temples. The temple complex houses the largest collections of Buddha images in Thailand. It is one of the largest and the oldest temples in Bangkok spread over 80000 sq. meter and believed to be build in 17th century. Its an half an hour drive from Bangkok International Airport.

As understand, Wat Pho is regarded as Thailand’s first university and also a centre for traditional Thai massage. The temple remains a center for traditional medicine even today & the school for Thai medicine founded in 1957 still operates.

As told by Tour Guide, The chapel and the reclining Buddha were built by Rama III somewhere in 1832
The image of the reclining Buddha represents the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations.
The posture of the image is referred to as Sihasaiyas - the posture of a sleeping or reclining lion.

The reclining Buddha is whooping 15 m high and 46 m long and it is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand. It is made of Gold-Copper Alloy & over the statue is a nine-tiered umbrella representing the authority of Thailand.
A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha about to enter the parinirvana.

There are 108 bronze bowls lining the wall behind the Buddha statue wherein people drop coins while making wish believed to get fulfilled after dropping the coins in to the bronze balls. Inside you will hear only the sound of people (bit harsh though) and sound of dropping coins inside the bowls.