SINCE I AM AN EXPERT ON BANGKOK, I TOOK PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO TO WAT TRIAMIT WHICH HOUSES THE WORLD'S BIGGEST, HEAVIEST AND MOST VALUABLE BUDDHA STATUE MADE OF SOLID GOLD!
THE GOLDEN BUDDHA WEIGHS 5.5 TONS AND AT THE PEAK PRICE OF GOLD AT US$ 1,400 PER TROY OUNCE, IT IS VALUED AT US$ 250 MILLION. EVEN IF THE PRICE OF GOLD DROPS TO US$ 700, THIS STATUE IS WORTH US$ 125 MILLION!
AND THAT IS JUST FOR THE GOLD ALONE! THE HISTORIC VALUE IS PRICELESS AS THIS MAGNIFICENT 3 METRE HIGH, SEATED BUDDHA IN THE MUDRA (HAND TOUCHING EARTH POSITION TO SYMBOLISE BUDDHA IS TAKING OVER EARTH) WAS MADE SOME 600 TO 700 YEARS AGO DURING THE SUKOTHAI ERA.
IT IS SAID THE ABBOT OF THE TEMPLE IN THE 15TH CENTURY DREAMED AYUTTHAYA WOULD BE ATTACKED BY THE BURMESE AND THE SOLID GOLD BUDDHA WOULD BE TAKEN TO BURMA'S CAPITAL RANGOON.
SO THE STATUE WAS IGNOMINIOUSLY COVERED IN CHEAP STUCCO PLASTER!
IT WAS THEN PAINTED AND COVERED WITH BITS OF COLORED GLASS, TRANSFORMING IT INTO JUST ANOTHER STATUE OF BUDDHA.
TRUE ENOUGH, THE BURMESE ATTACKED AND TOTALLY DESTROYED AYUTTHAYA IN 1767. THE CITY WAS RAZED TO THE GROUND WHICH TOOK NEARLY A YEAR AS THE BURMESE WANTED TO ENSURE AYUTTHAYA WOULD NEVER BE REBUILT!
THE STATUE WAS LEFT UNSCATHED AS IT DID NOT ATTRACT ANY ATTENTION!
IT WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN TO BANGKOK AFTER KING RAMA 1 FOUNDED THE NEW CITY IN 1801. IT LAIN NEGLECTED UNTIL 25 MAY 1955 WHEN A NEW TEMPLE WAS COMPLETED.
WHILE LIFTING THE STATUE TO ITS NEW POSITION INSIDE THE HALL, THE ROPES BROKE AND THE STATUE CRASHED INTO THE GROUND, CRACKING THE PLASTER AND REVEALING THE GOLD INSIDE!
AS THE INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST AS BUDDHISTS WERE CELEBRATING 2,500 YEARS OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA'S PASSING, THIS WAS SEEN AS A MIRACLE AS ITS DISCOVERY MUST HAVE BEEN AT THE WISH OF BUDDHA WHO WANTED THE TRUE NATURE OF THE STATUE TO BE REVEALED---PURE, PRISTINE AND GOLDEN!
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