Puttamingmongkol Akenakkiri

THAILAND, Phuket

The statue’s construction was initiated by a group of Buddhists in 2002 to propagate Dharma and pay tribute to King Rama IX (reigning 1946–present). A charitable foundation was established and donations were collected from devotees and tourists from around the world. The sculpture cost around 30 million baht.
Moulded from cement, the surface of the statue is covered with 135 t of marble from Myanmar that was burnished into a silvery sheen. The Buddha’s hair is curled into pointed cone-shapes rounded at the ends. The eyes on the full rounded face are downcast below crescent-shaped eyebrows, and the lips are curved in a blissful smile. The figure wears a monastic robe in the Thai manner, leaving the right shoulder bared, while the top end of the robe is arranged neatly over the left. The Buddha is depicted seated in half lotus position on an inverted lotus throne. The right hand forms the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra, while the left hand rests on the lap.