Chainat Celebrates World's Largest Buddha Statue Ceremony

Chainat province held a ceremonial blessing for the construction of a 54-meter-tall Buddha statue at Wat Mai Bamphen Bun, the world's largest, with large crowds of monks and devotees in attendance on September 15. Provincial Governor Phumiwatch Udomsap, together with Jitthana Yingthaweelap, the Provincial Administrative Organization chair, Shalom Songla, acting president of the Thailand Regional Tourism Business Alliance, and Prawong Kannrang, chair of the Chainat Cultural Council, along with relevant agencies, attended the blessing ceremony. The statue was presided over spiritually by Phra Kru Wichai Bunnyakam, the temple's abbot, as monks and a large crowd of people gathered for the occasion.

During the event, 10,000 firecrackers were set off as an auspicious act, with the final two digits coming to 22 308, which prompted many people to buy government lottery tickets throughout the temple grounds. Community donations of forest cloth presented to the temple on this occasion totaled 850,308 baht, matching the firecracker result.

Following the ceremony, alms were distributed: 999 bags of rice, 5 kilograms each, 9,999 chicken eggs, and 19,999 baht in cash to underprivileged community members.

Luang Pho Chuea Sukkhawanno was the former abbot of Wat Mai Bamphen Bun and was renowned for his deep meditation practice, auspicious Buddhist amulets, and sacred blessed water. He was a student who received Buddhist knowledge transmitted from respected elders such as Luang Pho Kong and Luang Pho Mo of Wat Chanthanaram, and was a contemporary dharma teacher with Luang Pho Gaew of Wat Gosit Aram. He had many students and followers.