- Emerald Buddha
The Emerald Buddha ( _th. พระแก้วมรกต - Phra Kaew Morakot, or official name พระพุทธมหามณีรัตนปฏิมากร - Phra Phuttha Maha Mani Ratana Patimakorn) is the palladium ( _th. ขวัญเมือง kwan meuang; colloquially มิ่งเมีอง ming meuang) of the Kingdom of
Thailand , afigurine of the sitting Buddha, made of greenjade (rather thanemerald ), clothed ingold , and about 45 cm tall. It is kept in the "Chapel of the Emerald Buddha" (Wat Phra Kaew ) on the grounds of the Grand Palace inBangkok .History
According to legend, the Emerald Buddha was created in India in
43 BC byNagasena in the city of Pataliputra (today Patna). The legends state that after remaining in Pataliputra for three hundred years, it was taken toSri Lanka to save it from a civil war. In457 , King Anuruth ofBurma sent a mission to Ceylon to ask for Buddhist scriptures and the Emerald Buddha, in order to supportBuddhism in his country. These requests were granted, but the ship lost its way in a storm during the return voyage and landed inCambodia . When the Thais capturedAngkor Wat in 1432, they took the Emerald Buddha with them back to Ayutthaya (Cambodian historians noted that the Emerald Buddha was of Cambodian origin in the fame "Preah Ko Preah Keo" legend. Later the Emerald Buddha went into the hands of KingKamphaeng Phet ,Laos and finallyChiang Rai , where the ruler of the city hid it. However, some art historians describe the Emerald Buddha as belonging to theChiang Saen Style of the 15th Century AD, which would mean it is actually ofLannathai origin.Historical sources indicate that the statue surfaced in northern
Thailand in the Lannathai kingdom in1434 . One account of its discovery tells that lightning struck apagoda in a temple in Chiang Rai, after which something became visible beneath thestucco . The Buddha was dug out and the people believed the figurine to be made ofemerald , hence its name. King Sam Fang Kaen of Lannathai wanted it in his capital,Chiang Mai , but the elephant carrying it insisted, on three separate occasions, on going instead toLampang . This was taken as a divine sign and the Emerald Buddha stayed in Lampang until1468 , when it was finally moved to Chiang Mai, where it was kept atWat Chedi Luang .The Emerald Buddha remained in Chiang Mai until
1552 , when it was taken toLuang Prabang , then the capital of the Lao kingdom ofLan Xang . Some years earlier, the crown prince of Lan Xang,Setthathirath , had been invited to occupy the vacant throne of Lannathai. However, Prince Setthathirath also became king of Lan Xang when his father,Photisarath , died. He returned home, taking the revered Buddha figure with him. In1564 , King Setthathirath moved it to his new capital atVientiane . [Setthathirath was of Lao, Thai and Lanna heritage, so was a Prince of Ayuttaya & Chiang Mai as well as the crown prince of Luang Prabang. Thai history records that Setthathirath removed the image without authority when the government of Chiang Mai fell into strife.]In
1779 , the Thai General Chao Phraya Chakri put down an insurrection, captured Vientiane and returned the Emerald Buddha to Siam, taking it with him toThonburi . After he became King Rama I of Thailand, he moved the Emerald Buddha with great ceremony to its current home inWat Phra Kaew onMarch 22 ,1784 . It is now kept in the main building of the temple, the "Ubosoth ".Gold clothing
The Emerald Buddha itself is simply the jasper statue [ [http://www.hawaii.edu/cseas/pubs/explore/eric.html The Origin and Significance of the Emerald Buddha ] ] , but it is adorned with garments made of gold. There are three different sets of gold clothing, which are changed by the King of Thailand in a ceremony at the changing of the seasons - in the 1st Waning of Lunar Months 4, 8 and 12 (around March, July and November). The three sets of gold garments correspond to Thailand's hot season, rainy season, and cool season. The two sets of gold clothing not in use at any given time are kept on display in the nearby Pavilion of Regalia, Royal Decorations and Thai Coins on the grounds of the Grand Palace, where the public may view them.
=References
*cite web|url=http://www.hawaii.edu/cseas/pubs/explore/eric.html|title=The Origin and Significance of the Emerald Buddha|author=Eric Roeder
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