W
at Phra Yai, better known as the "Big Buddha", is an iconic Ko Samui image. Located on route 4171 at the end of Bang Rak,
as one rounds the bend to Plai Laem, this huge statue is glimmering gold and visible from kilometres away.
Perched atop a platform, it’s much higher above sea level than its own 12-metre height, and the views across the bay
towards Ko Som and Ko Pha Ngan are spectacular, making the walk up the staircase worthwhile. The stairs are guarded on each side
by brightly painted and mosaic-studded nagas (Thai mythical sea serpents). Visitors drained by the heat and the trek up the stairs
are cooled by a sea breeze as they gaze past prayer bells and over the boat-filled bay. Big Buddha satisfies both the religious
tourist as well as the sightseer.
B ig Buddha was initially intended to be a monastery, but when the monk in charge died, plans changed, and the giant Buddha was constructed in the 1970s. The statue sits on a small island, not much more than a rocky outcrop, called Ko Fan (Deer Island). A wooden bridge once connected the island to the mainland, a distance of about 200 metres. After this bridge was damaged in the late 1970s, landfill was dumped to create a causeway to Big Buddha. Unfortunately, this meant that the sea currents could no longer flow naturally and the coral in the small bay was destroyed. At the water’s edge, you’ll find a selection of statues of mythical characters and mermaids.
T he Buddha is near a beachtown called Bang Rak, now often called Big Buddha Beach. It is 7.5 km (4.7 mi) northwest from Chaweng and 3 km (1.9 mi) east from Bophut. The temple is located on Thai highway 4171, which is a side route off of Highway 4169, the main route around the island.
W at Phra Yai, known in English as the Big Buddha Temple, is a Buddhist temple on Ko Phan (also spelled Koh Fan or Koh Faan), a small island offshore from the northeastern area of Ko Samui, Thailand, connected to that island by a short causeway 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) north of Samui International Airport. As its name indicates, it is home to a giant, 12-metre-high (39-foot) gold-painted Buddha statue. Since being built in 1972, it has become one of Ko Samui's main tourist attractions and a major landmark.
T he Buddha statue depicts Buddha in a state of calm and purity and resolve, having overcome temptation and fear sent at him by Mara, Lord of Illusion. Known as the Mara posture, the left hand rests palm open and up in the statue's lap, the right hand facing down over the right knee, almost to the ground.[1] There is a second, smaller Buddha statue, depicting the Maitreya of the Future[1] and a collection of bells around the temple's rear side. The temple design has elements of animism, Brahminism and Buddhism in its architecture. As in many Thai temples, nāga statues line the staircase. There is a bazaar within the temple grounds selling tourist items as well as amulets and other Buddhist items.[1] There are many restaurants and shops around the temple in the area known as Big Buddha Beach (Bang Rak).
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