Wat Pa Sawang Bun in Saraburi province
วัดป่าสว่างบุญ ตำบลชะอม อำเภอแก่งคอย จังหวัดสระบุรี
Wat Pa Sawang Bun in Saraburi province houses the longest reclining Buddha in Thailand and a Chedi with 500 golden spires พระมหารัตนโลหะเจดีย์ศรีศาสนโพธิสัตว์สว่างบุญ 500 ยอด.
Location of Chedi:
14.4157787,101.1336028 = 14°24'56.8"N 101°08'01.0"E
Mosaics with mirrors and stained glass in the chedi:
Aerial pictures by a friend's drone (perpendicular view allows counting, there are indeed 500 spires - 1 large central, 99 small around in two rows, 4x7 big and 4x4x7 small on the walkways, 4x(11+11+11+11+9+7+5) big on the seven steps):
The reclining Buddha is under construction and is going to be 209 meters long. That makes it the longest reclining Buddha in Thailand (next longest is around 55 m long) and the longest man-made in the world. There is one in China that is carved out of rock that is 416 m long.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/travel/2015-04/01/content_19964742_3.htm
Aerial picture by a friend's drone:
On the way from chedi to reclining Buddha is a building that houses various Ganesha statues carved from wood:
And finally, nearby on a mountain top, another chedi:
Verdict: Highly recommended, worth the trip from Bangkok.
Further reading:
www.watpasawangboon.com (Thai)
http://zeekway.com/วัดป่าสว่างบุญ-wat-pa-sawang-bun-2/ (Thai)
http://maleangpo.blogspot.de/2013/06/wat-pa-sawang-bun-saraburi.html (Japanese)
http://www.thetrippacker.com/th/place/วัดป่าสว่างบุญWatPaSawangBun/9765 (Thai)
http://mosteirosbudistas.blogspot.de/2013/02/wat-pa-sawang-bun-sara-buri.html (Spanish)
More information about biggest Buddha statues:
https://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/list-of-asias-largest-reclining-buddha-statues/
http://travel.cnn.com/bangkok/play/thailands-6-biggest-buddhas-and-giant-3-headed-elephant-755654/
http://www.guides.besttravelpictures.com/2011/11/top-10-biggest-reclining-buddha-statues-in-asia/
http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/cultures/17-biggest-buddhas-on-earth/
Language note:
There is no such thing as a "sleeping Buddha" - Buddha does not sleep!
It's either พระนอน prá non "lying Buddha" or พุทธไสยาสน์ pút-tá săi-yâat "reclining Buddha".
Copyright 2016 ChristianPFC
Blog about sightseeing, public transport and gay life in Thailand. Not politically correct. May contain explicit description of homosexual activities and strong language as a stylistic means. If that offends you, you can go here: http://www.imbecile.me/

Wow, great discovery. I will make this trip when, or if I return to Thailand
ReplyDeleteBut why you are not in Thailand?
DeleteWhat happened?
Who said I'm not in Thailand? I take one or two trips to Germany every year to meet friends and family and look for work.
ReplyDelete