Emerald Buddha

The Bouddha of Emerald is a statue in Jadéite venerated with Bangkok (Thailand) in the royal vault of the Large palace (Wat Phra If Ratana Satsadaram) and who is the religious emblem and symbolic system of the Dynastie Chakri and of the country.

History of the statue

Its origin is coated with legend. It makes its appearance in 1434 with Chiang Rai in extreme North of the country. She would have been discovered in a Chedi broken by the lightning, and presented herself as like a statue in gilded stucco. Later, the cracking stucco, a translucent green stone appeared, the people was filled with wonder, one says the Statue out of emerald and it was named Phra Keo Morakot . The king of Chiang May wished to recover the statue and sent a convoy of elephant to bring back it, but with the return, the elephant carrying the Buddha took the wrong road and the statue arrived at Lampang, the king not wanting to oppose the divine signs left the statue to Lampang.

It remained 32 years there. In 1468 the new king de Chiang May recovered the statue. In 1551 the kingdom of Chiang May passed under the domination of the king of the Laos and the Buddha left for Luang Prabang, it remained there until in 1564 date on which the capital of Laos was transferred to Vientiane. In 1778 the Chakri general, future Rama Ier seized the city and brought back the statue to Thonburi. It was placed in the Wat Arun then found finally its place in the vault of the palate of the new capital in 1784.

The statue and its veneration

The block of jadeite is 75 cm high on 45 broad, the statue itself is only 60 cm high, 15 cm of the base not cut are hidden in the Piédestal. According to its style, the Emerald Buddha belongs to the school of North, or Chiang Saen. It was probably cut in XVe century. It is supposed that jadeite comes from Burma.

The statue is presented on a gold pedestal, on a 11 height meters furnace bridge, in a cage of glass (to photograph it is prohibited) and under a gilded parasol on 9 floors symbolizing the universal royalty.

The Buddha is in the center of the devotion royal and popular. It has 3 costumes of gold and precious stones which are changed solemnly by the king himself according to the seasons during ceremonies. All around the Buddha, with the foot of the furnace bridge, are amoncèlent the royal or popular present.

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