Phra Kaew Morakot

A carved figurine on a grand multi-tiered pedestal in a wat inside Bangkok, Thailand. A temple has been there since 1784 CE. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims view the spot, & Thai people believe it brings prosperity for their nation.

Before 1784 CE, a figurine travelled for hundreds of years throughout Southeast Asia, via Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, & Laos, dispensing fortunes & revered for protective nature. A common belief is that political legitimacy rested in the hands of those who possessed the little statue.

This is regarded as important to King Rama I (r. 1782-1809 CE), also he moved Thailand’s capital from Ayutthaya to Bangkok. King Rama I created a wat and a royal residence to provide the figurine with a permanent home. It is a story of myth woven with real historical fact, and we will discover that this figurine has very mysterious origins.

History

The figurine is Phra Kaew Morakot in Thai. An image of Siddharta Gautama who is known as the enlightened one, meditating while in the Virasana yogic position and wearing fine gold cloth along with diamonds. He lived in northern India in mid-6th & mid-4th century BCE. It 65 centimetres in height, 48.3 centimetres in width, carved from a single piece of grey-green jasper found around India and Africa. Spectators are surprised to see a tiny Buddha perched high pedestal that reaches the ceiling in the ubosoth (ordination hall) where it is worshiped.

Since 1784 CE, this statue has been cared for ages by successive Thai kings who change costumes worn by Buddha – one for each season – and the Phra Kaew Morakot is the sacred palladium of Thailand, even politicians accused of corruption swear their innocence in front of it, and all reigning monarch swears the oath of loyalty before it.

History does not tell the origin or details of the craftsman who carved out the Buddha. The first historical reference is from a discovery at Chiang Rai in northern Thailand in 1434 CE when lightning cracked the stucco wall of chedi, a bell-shaped stupa. Until this date, it had a mystical past and much of what is known of its origin and travels comes from a Chronicle of Emerald Buddha, written in Pali language on a palm leaf manuscript in 15th CE. inside Chiang Mai. Events mentioned from the 15th CE onwards are accurate. The fable-like origins are the reason why it is thought to have spiritual significance among Thai Kings or Thai people.

A Temple – Phra Kaew Morakot

The official name of the wat is Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram, well Thai people call it Wat Phra Kaew. It is at the Grand Palace’s ground, inside the complex, which covers 213,677 square metres (2.3 million square feet), arguably an impressive tourist attraction. There are over 100 sites in the complex for pilgrims. Among hundreds of temples in Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew always remains a main Buddhist temple of Thailand, whose spirituality is compared to the Notre-Dame of France or Masjid Al-Haram of Mecca.

• The Grand Palace was constructed from bricks & wood. Rama I ordered the floor plan to be the same as that of the Ayutthaya Palace, so as to preserve the memory of the city which remained the Thai capital for around 415 years.

Here Buddha was housed inside royal chapel, placed inside ubosoth (ordination hall) on a busabok (throne), an intricately decorated wood surface. Buddha roams around Thailand during epidemics and plagues. In earlier times, cholera epidemic spread out, it was Buddha, who had nana (wisdom) to eradicate the disease and cast evil spirits out. King Rama IV brought an end to the ceremonies and processions. Figurine has remained inside Wat Phra Kaew ever since.

The temple’s exterior has dark, orange and green glazed roof tiles, golden gilt carvings, bronze tinkling bells & mosaics.
With wooden doors inlaid with mother-of-pearl illustrations from Ramakien (Thailand’s national epic). The ubosoth is a rectangular space, Buddha is placed on a multi-tiered golden pedestal. A plinth was added by King Rama III (r. 1824-51 CE). The proportion of the room with the small Buddha perched high reflects the symbolic importance.

Behind the Emerald Buddha is a mural that represents the universe with reference to Buddhist cosmology. The outer walls, are two kilometres (1.2 miles), these walls are covered with 178 mural panels painted in the reign of Rama I. It shows colou-rful Ramakien, which is Thailand’s version of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. Six pairs of giant demon guardians flank all entries inside the temple. They are known as yaksha that protects from evil spirits.

On the grounds of Wat Phra Kaew, on a minute walk from wat, a golden stupa, Phra Siratana Chedi, placed by King Rama IV in 1855 CE to house Buddha relics. It is a bell shape on a circular base in the Ceylonese style and gives further power and merit to the Chakri dynasty. It is the tallest structure in the Grand Palace complex and can be seen from the Chao Phraya River.

The Legend of the Emerald Buddha

In 1932 CE, the Chronicle of the Emerald Buddha was translated under French consul in Thailand, Camille Notton. There were manuscripts about the Buddha from neighbouring countries of Cambodia & Laos. This points to the possibility that a much older text existed. A legend tells that Phra Mahamaniattanapatimakon, was created in Pataliputra in India, a Sarvastivadan Buddhist monk. Gods gave him the precious gemstone from which the Buddha carving was made. This relic was revered & moved in Buddhist processions around Pataliputra. Later it was inside Ceylon, present day Sri Lanka, where a civil war.

• A legend also depicts that it may have been crafted in the 15th century CE in the Kingdom of Lanna (northern Thailand) from a precious stone brought from a quarry in China, although there are also theories that it originated in Sri Lanka.

The chronicles tells that in 457 CE, king of Burma requested the Buddha to make way inside his land to promote Buddhism. After a mission, the ship transfering Buddha back to India lost its way and found inside Cambodia. The statuette sojourned for hundreds of years in Angkor Wat until King Anawrahta (r. 1044–77 CE) demanded its return to Burma, but the ruler of Angkor refused his request.

Luang Prabang Chronicles, which parallel the Chronicles of the Emerald Buddha, suggest that King Anawrahta disguised himself as a merchant to steal Buddha, however that didn’t happen. Thai captured the Buddha in 1432 CE, and remained at Chiang Rai, hidden behind a wall of Wat Pa Yiah (Temple of the Golden Bamboo Forest). In 1434 CE, the figurine bursts into history when lightning struck the stupa, partially destroying it, and monks found the Emerald Buddha covered in gold leaf. Months later, the abbot noticed the gold leaf and cleared the outer covering, which revealed a figurine of green crystal.

Buddha & King

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha plays a crucial step in the coronation of Thai kings. Maha Vajiralongkorn or Rama X (r. 2016-present), who is the first king in 69 years after succeeding his father Rama IX (1927-2016 CE). Ahead of his three-day coronation, Rama X worshipped the Emerald Buddha by lighting a candle at 4.19 pm precisely – a time which astrologers considered auspicious. Holy water was taken after elaborate procession to the wat for the purification ceremony, inscription with the king’s official name, horoscope, and royal seal was transferred from the temple to the Grand Palace. king changes the clothes of the Buddha, three times a year, during March, July, and November. Two of the golden garments were provided by Rama I. The hot season (March), garment includes a crown studded with jewels and a golden robe; the rainy season (July), garment is a tiny raincoat and a headdress; and a solid gold robe is for the cold season (November). The ritual shows change of seasons, here each costume is 3.7 million.