Buddha Buying In Bangkok

Bangkok has dozens of impressive Wats, Buddhist temples, and related religious shrines. Plenty of architectural marvels, full of elaborate decorations and crammed with blinged out icons. Maybe you want to have some of that religious magic in your home? Time to head to a holy shop.

Home altars. The colors are set, just choose your size.

Parade of big Buddhas. You want sitting, standing, default gold or maybe make a statement in fake, green plastic jade?

Getting personal. Wat temples like to memorialize their famous, beloved monks by making frighteningly realist mini versions of them. Someone special in your religious life? Grab a copy.

More stuff, always more stuff. Buddha profile and an endless supply, variety of offering baskets. The gifts are for your dearly departed, making sure they have fresh toothpaste, maybe a flashlight in the afterlife.

The sign says not for sitting. Only for selling. For those folks with Buddha envy issues.

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

It's the business of Buddha outside Bendigo, Australia. Lama Thubten Yeshe had a vision for a grand stupa and so, it is being built. It's modeled after the Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet.

Head away from Bendigo city center, out into the scrub, and you'll come upon this big presence.

Inside, the main treasure, a giant, jade sitting Buddha, ready for final placement on the center altar. It's going to take a crane.

A makeshift altar amid the construction.

Back outside, always room for some animals. Buddha loves elephants and you gotta have a kangaroo in Australia.

Although the exterior of the stupa still needs its final decoration, prayer wheels have been attached, temporarily. A little holiness into the infinity.

Relaxing At Wat Khun Inthapramun

The nice thing about Thailand is that you're never far from a Buddha. City or country, there's always a wat nearby. The fun part is seeing which style of Buddha is hanging out.

A few hours north of Bangkok is Wat Khun Inthapramun. The complex is surrounded by fields and you'll find few visitors during the week.  Laid back.

Their Buddha gets it.

The impressive feature? The bright orange robe. We're talking a major piece of fabric. On a big Buddha, outside, in the tropics. The dry cleaning bill!

More orange, strung all over some trees. An old, brick stupa.

Buddha on Buddha. A smaller sculpture, also relaxing, in front of the big boy.

Temple details, various small icons and a colorful Naga, multi-headed snake.

The Buddha backside, in case you were wondering. You were. You're welcome.

Fun Details At Wat Watcheatawan

For most of the Wats in Chiang Mai, Thailand the chedis, stupas and temples may look similar. It's the little details that start to differentiate the various Buddhist complexes.

At Wat Watcheatawan, one of the first unique features is the vivid red and mural covered temple interior. Flashy.

The murals seem to be teaching, of course, to heed a Buddhist way of life. By way of a Hieronymus Bosch-esque, never-ending parade of little genre scenes that hint at secular depravity. Heavenly. All chedis are ancient? Not so, they're building for the future at Wat Watcheatawan.
Flowers, monk and light fixture still life.

Melancholy figure. At least they're going green in their construction, recycling Chinese porcelain bowls into the chedi design. Nifty.

Buddha outside in a temporary structure, still finished in rich, gold fabric.

Wat Chedi Luang

If you're looking for the biggest chedi (stupa) in Chiang Mai, head over to the centrally located Wat Chedi Luang.

What you see today is only about half the size of what was once originally constructed in the 15th century. An earthquake in 1545 heavily damaged the chedi and it's only been partially restored. At about 30 meters tall, it's still a commanding presence.

Behold the big chedi!

Multiple Buddhas are hanging out at the stupa. Elsewhere at the complex, a wax monk.

More monks, a whole bronze army to infinity.

A shy little grey elephant. Gold leaf Buddha head.
One more Buddha, enjoying the lovely, intricate cover up.

Wat Phra Singh In Chiang Mai

Anchoring the western part of old town Chiang Mai in Thailand is mighty Wat Phra Singh. It's a whole complex of golden beauties, started way back in 1325.

The main temple, Wihan Luang.

Things get golden out back at the big chedi, stupa. Bling! Back inside of Wihan Luang, it's time for a quick prayer.

Monk hall of fame. Wat Phra Singh must have a rich history of head monks as many of them have been lovingly preserved in wax. Role call.

They know what they're doing in wax, right down to liver spots and original eyeglasses. Too bad you can't be remembered when you were say 42 instead of 82. Donation box section, one for any taste.

Back at the chedi, a gold elephant emerges.

Wandering The Many Wats Of Chiang Mai

It's impossible to visit every Wat in the Chiang Mai area of Thailand unless you're either born or live there. Doesn't mean one can't make a feeble attempt at seeing as many Wats as possible during a few days' visit. Time for a random romp.

Here's Wat Hua Khwang, all buttoned up and neat.

The main chedi is allowed to grow a little nature fuzz, since it's authentically old. Buddha statue, you stay under your protective plastic. Mysterious.

Morning monk services at Wat Phan On.

A little shoutout at the Wat to one of the persons bankrolling the operation. Oh, just in case you couldn't tell, the Wat lets you know the devotee is female. Wherever they get their money, it's being poured like gold into the place.

Moving on, it's the rustic, rural laid back vibe of Wat Mahawan.

Their Buddha is quite the prepared monk-scout, complete with walking stick and trusty umbrella. The stately, whitewashed stupa in morning light.

A regal door at Wat Lamchang.