Temple of the Golden Buddha or Wat Traimit, Bangkok, Thailand

       This temple is well known for its 3-metre tall, 5.5 tons solid gold Buddha image, constructed over 700 years agone throughout the Sukhothai amount. Originally the gold image was covered with plaster to conceal it from the offensive Burmese and was simply rediscovered accidentally concerning forty years agone. 

On 14 February 2010, Wat Traimit’s new building named “Phra Maha Mondop” was formally opened to the public.  And the Gold Buddha was moved here. The first floor of the building is that the Yaowarat Chinatown Heritage Centre wherever tourists will learn the history of the Chinese immigrants in Thailand in addition as their culture that has become a part of the Thai culture. The second floor occupy an exhibition of the origin of the Gold Buddha. And the top level is wherever the world’s largest gold Buddha image is enshrined.

History of the Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit

    Named Phra Sukhothai Traimit, this statue is placed in Wat Traimit close to Chinatown in Bangkok. In the traditional sitting poster, it measures 3.10 m. across the lap from knee to knee and 3.91m. from base to top. A feature of the statue is that it will be taken to nine items. The purity of gold is 40 the troubles from the bottom up to the neck, 80 the troubles from the chin to the forehead, and 99 the troubles for the hair and therefore the topknot, weighing forty five kilo. It was estimated that the gold Buddha was in-built the Sukhothai amount (1238-1438). But there area unit no written records of its origin.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century when King avatar I estabished Bangkok because the new capital, he ordered the removal of all important Buddha pictures from the North to Bangkok lest they would possibly suffer harm since the northern region wasn't however pacified. And among the statues moved to Bangkok was this gold Buddha. But it was coated with stucco and placed at Wat Phraya Krai while not arousing any interest group among the worshippers.

Later, Wat Phraya Krai became dilapidated and was ordered closed by King avatar V(1868-1910). And this statue was captive to Wat Traimit. The abbot of the temple then asked alternative monasteries for a attainable transfer. But no one was interested as a result of of its large size and plain look. So the superior determined to stay the sculpture in his own temple and designed a special vihara to deal with it.

On the eve of its scheduled removal, a heavy rain soaked the stucco covering. In the act of moving, the statue was accidentally born and the stucco cracked, revealing the shining gold inside.

Nobody is aware of the true reason for the concealment of the gold Buddha. It was presumed that the sculpture was coated up simply before the invasion of the Burmese within the mid-18 century, so as to conceal its true price from the enemy.