- Phra Bang
The Phra Bang (literally "delicate Buddha", Lao + ), or 'Holy Golden Buddha' is the
palladium ofLaos . It is an 83cm-high standing Buddha with palms facing forward, cast in bronze and covered in gold leaf. According to local lore, it was cast in Ceylon (nowSri Lanka ) sometime between the 1st and9th century . However, the features of the image suggest a much later Khmer origin. It arrived inLan Xang in1353 fromAngkor to spreadTheravada Buddhism in the new kingdom. In 1359 the Khmer king gave the Pra Bang to his son-in-law, the first Lang Xang monarch Fa Ngum (1353-1373); to provide Buddhist legitimacy both to Fa Ngum's rule and by extension to the sovereignty of Laos. The former Lao capitalLuang Prabang , where it was kept, is named after the Buddha image.The Pra Bang is seen as a symbol of the right to rule Laos, as only a pure and true government could hope to hold on to the sacred image. In 1778, the Siamese (now Thai) invaded Luang Prabang and captured the Pra Bang, taking it back to
Bangkok . Political upheavals and misfortunes were attributed to the Pra Bang, and in 1782 it was returned to the Laotians. Again in 1828, the Siamese captured the Pra Bang but returned it again in 1867 after similar political upheavals. As of September 2006, the Pra Bang is temporarily located in a room in theRoyal Palace Museum (Haw Kham ) inLuang Prabang , while a new temple (theHop Pra Bang ) is being constructed for it nearby, withnin the Royal Palace grounds. Construction of the new temple is almost complete, and the Pra Bang should be installed in the pavilion in the very near future.Each year, on the third day of
Pimay or Men Sang Khan Kheun,"‘Day of the Arrival of the New Year's Tutelary Deity", the Pra Bang is taken in procession toVat May . It is exhibited at the purification shrine, surmounted by twohang lin to receive water dispensed by the people.There remains doubt whether the image in the museum is the same object that was given to
Fa Ngum . Some suggest that the image on show is a copy and that the original is kept in a bank vault in Vientiane for safekeeping. Another local rumour suggests that the Pra Bang was given to the Soviets in 1975 in exchange for help during theCold War . Nonetheless the Pra Bang remains an object of veneration and a reminder of the rich traditions of Luang Prabang.ee also
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Emerald Buddha External links
* [http://www.pbase.com/namfaa/luang_phra_bang Luang Phra Bang, Laos]
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