- Buddha Dordenma statue
Buddha Dordenma is a gigantic
Shakyamuni Buddha statue under construction in the mountains ofBhutan . The statue will house over onelakh (one hundred thousand) of smaller Buddha statues, each of which, like the Buddha Dordenma itself, will be made ofbronze and gilded in gold. The Buddha Dordenma is sited amidst the ruins ofKuensel Phodrang , the palace ofSherab Wangchuck , the 13thDesi Druk , overlooking the southern approach toThimphu , the capital of Bhutan. Upon completion by the end of2008 , it will be the one of the largestBuddha rupa s in the world, at a height of 169 feet (51.5 meters).The statue alone is being built at a cost of US$47 million, by
Aerosun Corporation ofNanjing , China, while the total cost of the Buddha Dordenma Project is well over US$100 million. The interior will accommodate 100,000 8-inch-tall and 25,000 12-inch-tall gilded Buddhas respectively. Names of sponsors will be displayed in the meditation hall which forms the throne of the Buddha Dordenma.Apart from commemorating the centenary of the Bhutanese monarchy, it fulfills two prophecies. In the 20th century, the renowned yogi
Sonam Zangpo , prophecied that a large statue of eitherPadmasambhava , Buddha or of aphurba would be built in the region to bestow blessings, peace and happiness on the whole world. Additionally the statue is mentioned in the ancientterma of GuruPadmasambhava himself, said to date from approximately the8th century , and recovered some 800 years ago byterton Pema Lingpa .External links
* [http://www.dordenma.org/ Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation]
* [http://www.buddhadordenma.org/ slide show of the project at www.buddhadordenma.org]
* [http://www.kuenselonline.com/article.php?sid=5670 Kuensel article]
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