The Big Buddha is closed to the public
The closure is due to an ongoing investigation into the tragic landslide that occurred on August 23, resulting in the loss of 13 lives. The landslide originated near the Big Buddha parking lot, allegedly exceeding the legal land occupancy limits.
The outcome of the investigation remains uncertain, and there is no clear timeline for when the Buddha will be reopened to the public. There is a possibility that all structures, including the Buddha statue, may need to be dismantled.
| พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี, Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Akenakiri | |
 The Big Buddha, photographed from the frontside, bottom of the stairs. | |
| Location | Wat Kitthi Sangkharam, Karon, Meaung, Phuket, Thailand |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Material | Concrete, covered with white marble |
| Height | 45 metres (148 ft) |
| Beginning date | 2002 |
| Completion date | 2014 |
| Dedicated to | Gautama Buddha |
| Website | https://www.mingmongkolphuket.com/Index |
Phuket Big Buddha, or The Great Buddha of Phuket, is a seated Maravija Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand. The official name is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Eknakiri (Thai: พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี; RTGS: phra phuttha ming mongkhon eknakhakhiri), shortened to Ming Mongkol Buddha. Sitting atop Nakkerd Hill (also spelt Nagakerd) near Chalong, construction began in 2004. Expansion of the base was ongoing as of 2015. By 2017, 80 percent of the project had been completed. It is the third-tallest statue in Thailand behind only the Great Buddha of Thailand and Luangpho Yai.
The Buddha statue depicts Gautama in a sitting position (Maravichai: มารวิชัย) and is 45 metres (148 feet) tall and 25.45 metres (83.5 feet) wide. It is made of concrete and covered with Burmese white marble. Facing towards Ao Chalong Bay the statue is the main Buddha of the Wat Kitthi Sankaram temple (Wat Kata). The statue was declared the "Buddhist Treasure of Phuket" by Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, in 2008.
The statue cost 30 million baht (approx. US$950,000 in February 2019), sourced primarily from donations. It was built legally in a national conserved forest with the approval of Thai Royal Forest Department.
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Names
The statue's official name is Phra Phutta Ming Mongkol Eknakakiri (Thai: พระพุทธมิ่งมงคลเอกนาคคีรี), which means "The Cherished Auspicious Lord Buddha atop Nāga Hill". The name is a blend of native Thai, Sanskrit, and Pali words – the first element Phra Phutta (Sanskrit varabuddha) means "Lord Buddha"; the second element Ming Mongkol means "cherished and auspicious"; the third element Eknakagiri (from Sanskrit/Pali ekanāgagiri) means "atop Nāga Hill".
See also
- Buddharupa
- Emerald Buddha
- Golden Buddha (Phra Sukhothai Traimit)
- Iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand
- Other tallest statues in Thailand:
- Great Buddha of Thailand, the tallest
- Luangpho Yai, the 2nd-tallest
- Luang Pho To Wat Intaravihara, the 4th-tallest
References
- Thuan, Willy (13 December 2017). "Phuket Big Buddha". Phuket 101.
- ^ "Phuket Big Buddha Chalong Phuket Thailand". www.phuket-big-buddha.com. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- "Phuket's finest viewpoint at the "Big Buddha"". The Nation. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "Country Currency Rates". countrycurrencyrates.com. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- "Phuket Big Buddha - History & Construction of a Giant Buddha". phuket.com. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
External links
Media related to Big Buddha (Phuket) at Wikimedia Commons
7°49′39″N 98°18′46″E / 7.827598°N 98.312853°E / 7.827598; 98.312853
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