India’s largest statue of the Reclining Buddha was to have been installed at the Buddha International Welfare Mission temple in Bodh Gaya, but the ceremony has been put off due to Covid-19 restrictions.
What is reclining Buddha statue?
- A reclining Buddha statue or image represents The Buddha during his last illness, about to enter Parinirvana.
- Parinirvana is the stage of great salvation after death that can only be attained by enlightened souls.
- The Buddha’s death came when he was 80 years old, in a state of meditation, in Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, close to the state’s border with Bihar.
- Statues and images of the Reclining Buddha show him lying on his right side, his head resting on a cushion or on his right elbow.
- The Reclining Buddha was first depicted in Gandhara art, which began in the period between 50 BC and 75 AD.
- In Sri Lanka and India, the Buddha is mostly shown in sitting postures, while the reclining postures are more prevalent in Thailand and other parts of South East Asia.
- The largest Reclining Buddha in the world is the 600-foot Winsein Tawya Buddha built in 1992 in Mawlamyine, Myanmar.
(Source: Indian Express)
