Seated Buddha

Wat Phanan Choeng, Ayutthaya

This colossal statue of Buddha was repaired many times, first in the time of King Naresuan (1590-1605), and most recently in 1929. The men in this photo fit comfortably within the gigantic statue's hands. They are draping sheer robes, "rented" by worshipers, over the statue's surface. The cloth is then hauled off and redraped over the donors, as a way of transferring merit. Then, the robes are packed away to be reused in the next cycle of worship.