The spectacular highlight of Wat Chaiyamangkalaram is the reclining Buddha. This position represents Shakyamuni Buddha on his deathbed at the age of 80 in either 544 or 545 BCE. Having already reached nirvana in his lifetime, he is preparing for parinirvana, the ultimate state after death. This gilded Buddha colossi – also called the sleeping Buddha – is an enormous 108 feet long, the world’s third largest. Look closely at the eyes and toenails. They are made from mother of pearl.
