BY MEGHA SHARMA
This article focuses on the most famous and tallest Buddha statues around the world. These statues mark an amazing display of a religion that has its origin from India. Buddhism is considered one of the 6 world religions. Around 200-500 million people call themselves Buddhists (followers of Buddha). The religion originated in India as a call for an egalitarian society. When the society was stratified into class and caste based structures, Buddha became the epitome for the downtrodden to exercise their equal status.
The story initiated with such a context and later this religion and its ideals attracted thousands of followers. The Dhamma, which was another term for the Hindu Dharma, was an enlightenment that Lord Buddha achieved after years of meditation. He wanted to unlock the mysteries of life and concluded with realising four noble truths: “(1) To live we must suffer. (2) Suffering is caused by craving. (3) Suffering can be overcome. (4) There is a path leading to the end of suffering. This path is called the Noble Eightfold Path. The path consists of right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.”
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The spring temple Buddha, China
The temple was built in the Zhaocun township of Lushan county, Henan, China in 2002. The statue here depicts the Vairocana Buddha. It is being surrounded by the Fodushan scenic area which is 40 miles to the west of Pingdingshan town. The statue is 128m (420ft.) tall inclusive of a 66m (20ft.) lotus throne. It comes to a total height of 53m (502ft.) standing on the pedestal. It is the tallest statue in the world with a name in the Guinness book of world records. It weighs over 1000 tones and is made up of 1100 pieces of cast copper.
The Laykyun Setkya Buddha, Myanmar
It is the second tallest Buddha statue in the world. The construction took 11 years initiating in 1996 and finally built in February, 2008 by the chief Abbot Ven, who died in 2006. It is located in the village of Khatakan town, near Monywa, Myanmar. The statue is 130m (427ft.) long, comprising of a 44ft. throne. It is situated behind the statue of the reclining Buddha. It is one of the major tourist attractions of Myanmar.
The Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan
This statue made up of Bronze, and is located in the south-east of Tsukuba in Ibaraki prefecture, japan. Its height is 120m (394ft.) statue, with a 10m base and a 10 m lotus throne. It is also known as the Ushiku ARCADIA (Amida’s Radiance and Compassion Actually Developing and Illuminating Area). It weighs 4000 tons and was built in 1993 to commemorate the birth of Shinran (1173-1263), the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Japanese Buddhism, with its HQ at the Honganji temples in Kyoto. A zoo surrounds the premises and a firework show also happens on the 15th of August.
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The Guan Yin Statue of Hainan, China
The statue is also known as the Guan Yin, (Bodhisattava Avalokitsvara) of south sea of Sanya. It is a 108m (354ft.) long towering statue. It is located on the south coast of China’s Island province Hainan in the premises of Nanshan temple. While entering the temple complex, one need to access to approximately 50 square kilometres (19.3 square miles) of beachfront gardens, temples, monuments and statues. The statue is facing three sides with one towards the island and the other two facing the South East China sea intending to take blessings from the sea and the whole world.
The Sculpture Of The Emperors Yan And Huang (China)
These sculptures were built by the two most ancient Emperors of China Yan Di and Huang Di. Most of the Chinese consider themselves descendants of these Emperors. It took 20 years for these sculptures to get constructed. Finally, in 2007, they were publically opened. It is located in Zhengzhou province, capital of the Henan town in the people’s republic of China. The statue rises to 106m (350ft.) and is the fifth tallest statue in the world. The statues Emperors Yan and Huang, situated inside the Yellow River scenic zone of the city, look out over a large plaza from the top of a hill. It is illuminated by five hundred and ten lights and is a scenic pleasure to watch.
Megha is a student at the University of Delhi. She is pursuing her masters in English and has also done her studies in German Language. Twitter @meghash06510344