Phuket Island is a tourist destination that has many exciting activities. Phuket is also the largest island in Thailand and an ancient city with historical significance. There is a beautiful sea panorama view, but many tourists do not know that Phuket also has many interesting attractions, more than just the sea. We would like to introduce the Phra Phuttha Mingmongkol Akenakkiri or Big Buddha. Big Buddha is the central Buddha of Phuket with white color, which is enshrined on the top of the Nagakerd mountain, located in Khao Nak Kerd National Reserved Forest, Karon Subdistrict Mueang District, Phuket. Big Buddha considered a new religious attraction in Phuket that is gaining attention from people worldwide. There are both Thai and foreign tourists traveling to admire the beauty of Big Buddha and making merit for good fortune along with views of Phuket Island at the top of the mountain.
The creation of Big Buddha started with public donations. The construction began in 2005, responsible by Wat Kitti Sangkaram or Wat Kata with the permission to locate the Big Buddha area at the Royal Forest Department. Big Buddha was built to become a Buddhist meditation park full of shady and beautiful. People can also visit Big Buddha to practice meditation or relax. There is a shady atmosphere suitable for meditation. Besides, the construction took more than 9 years to complete, and Big Buddha was named “Phra Phutthamingmongkol Akenakkiri” from Somdej Phra Yannasangvara Patriarch Sakolmahasangkhaparinayok with a seal to be a Big Buddha in Phuket on October 28, 2007. Big Buddha is currently open for tourists to visit every day from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
The Big Buddha’s structure is in the attitude of subduing Mara. Big Buddha was built in contemporary style with a lap width of 25.45 meters and a height of 45 meters, emphasizing a strong structure with reinforced concrete because the Big Buddha is located outdoors on the top of the mountain and is huge. Also, Big Buddha is decorated with white jade marble on the outside, called Solar Kanta from Burma. The marble was cut into small pieces before putting on Big Buddha by meticulous craftsmanship. The weight of the white jade marble accounted for 135 tons or about 2,500 square meters. The landscape surrounding Big Buddha is designed to be heaven because the Big Buddha’s attitude of subduing Mara is the posture in which the Lord Buddha went to heaven to preach to his mother in heaven. Therefore, the construction of the stairs in this place is under the illusion of a glass staircase in golden and silver color for the Lord Buddha to visit the three worlds: heaven, the human world, and the underworld or hell. There was a construction of Big Buddha in the posture of which the Buddha descended from the Daowadung heaven. There is also an imitation of the Buddha statue that Ashoka the Great used to build in India in the lower stairway to be honored as the patronage of Buddhism to spread throughout the world as King Ashoka had done in the past.
Therefore, the Big Buddha is a place of Buddhanusati, the object created by merit. Big Buddha is the center of the mind that spreads the Buddha’s teachings to people. The beauty of Big Buddha heals the hearts of those who have the opportunity to worship. Surrounding the Big Buddha is a Buddhist park that collects dharma in everyday life into categories. A collection of plants in the Buddha’s history are also included under the support of the Royal Forest Department Open to Buddhists to use as a place to practice Vipassana meditation for mental development. In addition, the symbol of the 80th anniversary of King Rama IX was located as a royal gift to His Majesty.
Therefore, if anyone has the opportunity to visit Phuket, we recommend visiting Phra Phuttha Mingmongkol Egnakkhiri or Big Buddha. When the white Big Buddha is reflected in the sunlight with the view of the Phuket Sea, this picture is beyond description and nowhere like it for sure. Moreover, the Big Buddha location has a 360-degree view that can be seen around Phuket and small islands such as Chalong Bay, Kata Beach, and Kata Beach.
