Sunday, October 07, 2018

Wat Chalong Grand Pagoda (Phra Mahathat Chedi) - Housing the Sacred Buddha Relic @ Phuket [Thailand] #buddharelic

The most striking (and tallest at 60 meters) structure in the Wat Chalong complex had to be this elaborate European-Thai fusion building, known as chedi, that's built in 1999.

I was so drawn by its intricate beauty that i took countless pictures; would have stayed much longer if not for the fact that the always-tired Alex was waiting for us in the car.

Removing my shoes so that i can step in for a closer look; i would strongly recommend going in for two reasons. Firstly, you get a rather good view of the temple's surroundings and secondly, the pagoda actually houses one of Buddha's relics! 

The shorter bell tower that's easily reached by a flight of stairs; contrast that to the one i climbed up with dad in the same temple. Click here for more information. 

Naga - a mythological snake said to a protector of Buddha. Despite the noble responsibility, i am unsure if i could put down my fear for them, calmly. 

A sleepy cat! 

*bling* *bling* *bling* - for a moment, i was just in awed of the sheer number of gold statues within the hall. Nothing particularly stands out after the initial "wow" except for a sign that says "do not hug the buddha".

A multi-generation family praying in front of one of the statues. 

Heavy duty safe to keep the donations! 

Pull up banner asking visitors not to buy Buddha images for decorative purposes as it's a sign of disrespect. Well, stopping those vendors / retailers from selling them would be a more effective way. 

Squeaky clean flooring because you are not allowed to wear shoes within! I still can't understand how Americans can stand wearing shoes into their house and stepping them all over their bedroom! 

One photograph in the cabinet gave me the answer to the name of the house that contained waxed figurines; the Model House of Luang Por Cham.


Mural paintings showing the life of Gautama Buddha; from his birth as a young prince somewhere in Nepal to his enlightenment after attaining nirvana. 


Climbing up to the top level. 

Panoramic view with the dark clouds looming above us! Notice anything weird at the hills? It might just be a teeny weeny bit in the picture but you can still make out the silhouette if you look closer! 

Phuket Big Buddha; the 45-meter high statue can, in fact, be seen between my dad's thumb and his head! So glad the visibility was still pretty clear despite the impending rain. 

Another view of the main Wat Chalong temple.


Judging from the number of people wearing black, i am thinking the building on the left, with a chimney, is a crematorium whereas the one on the right is a prayer hall. 

Now stepping into the main relic chamber! 

Photo of dad with two nagas flanking him! It's interesting to note that while nagas are commonly displayed in Thai temples, dragons are the preferred mythological creatures for Chinese temples.

From the above photo, you can roughly guess that the chamber wasn't huge and we were thankful that it wasn't an exceptionally crowded day when we visited. 

The lack of crowd means i am able to take a picture of the relic with ease! Unlike Singapore's Buddha Tooth Relic temple, i didn't see any sign prohibiting me from taking photos.

Protection was multi-layered; a hexagonal glass enclosure separated us mortals from the sacred relic and within the container, it's guarded by the statues of four bodhisattvas! 

Right in the middle should be the known Buddha relic by the name of Phra Borom Sareerikatat. Brought in from Sri Lanka, it's installed by then Crown Prince Maha VajiralongKorn (now King Rama X of the Chakri Dynasty).

Other relics surrounding the main one; not sure if they belong to Buddha or not but Buddhist devotees believe that if a person is found to have relics after his/her cremation, it means that the deceased has performed great merits in his/her life. 

Floor was strewn with coins and notes! Not sure how that's going to help in karma actually since the only way (via Buddhism) to redeem is to earn merits throughout your life and even then, there are certain trials and tribulations that are unavoidable. 

Maybe it's easier to get a peace of mind by reciting the above mantra as you circle the relic chamber. Grant your wish? Well, if only life is that simple! 

Wat Chalong Chedi - done! 

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Location
Within Wat Chalong,
Phuket, Thailand


What else did i do in Phuket

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