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By the time I reached Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, the sky was dark and cloudy. Sigh...not a great day for photography. I was the lone visitor that afternoon.

The world's third largest reclining Buddha is BEAUTIFUL! Halfway admiring the statue, I was stopped by two ladies. They ushered me to one side and asked for temple donations. I was reluctant at first because I was traveling on a tight budget. But, these two ladies were very persuasive and bombarded me with endless 'craps'. At one point, I felt guilty for rejecting these ladies. So, I gave up and donated 200 THB. After that, they asked me to sit on a stool to get blessing from a Thai monk. I told them I am a humanist, an atheist and a nonbeliever. I pray to nobody. The ladies were saying loads of stuffs asking me repeatedly to sit. Again, I surrendered. The monk chanted some strange words and sprinkled 'holy water' on my head. After that, I was requested to make another donation for the blessing. I was shocked. I thought my initial 200 THB covered everything. I felt cheated and scammed. Fortunately, I did not encounter such 'harassment' in Bangkok's temples. Well, I blame myself for being innocent and stupid.

OK...enough about that. Later, I explore the reclining Buddha from head to toe. The statue look surreal - the facial hair, fingernails and the feet look amazing! The craftsmanship is PERFECT! At the back of the statue, there is a mausoleum with hundreds of urns and a priceless collection of Buddha relics. The displays are quite impressive.

Coming soon - All about the laughing Buddha, marble white Guan Yin and the hilltop golden Buddha in Hat Yai Municipal Park สวนสาธารณะเทศบาลเมืองหาดใหญ่.

Title: World's Third Largest Reclining Buddha
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:07am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.3, ISO Equiv.: 1600

A large reclining Buddha measuring 35 meters long, 15 meters tall, and 10 meters wide, named Phra Phuttha Hattha Mongkhon, believed to be the third largest reclining Buddha in the world.

Title: Closer Look
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:20am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 100

I was trying to stand as close as possible to this statue to snap a better close-up shot. Halfway, the temple caretaker was standing next to me. She was muted and stared at me for a moment. I guess she was not very happy seeing me standing that close to the praying altar.

Title: It's B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:19am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.6, ISO Equiv.: 110

It was a momentous moment standing this close to Buddha. The statue look SURREAL and AWESOME! The smile, the eyes, the fingers and everything else.

Title: The Reclining Buddha - MINI ME :)
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:20am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/6.3, ISO Equiv.: 100

This is a miniature statue of the reclining Buddha. The gigantic statue of Buddha is at the back of this mini me.

Title: A Golden Laughing Buddha
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:07am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.3, ISO Equiv.: 1600

A gold coloured Buddha statue in the mausoleum (behind the reclining Buddha). Can someone tell me why devotees paste gold papers on statues of Gods and Deities??

Title: A Bronze Statue of Buddha
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 10:59am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/4.5, ISO Equiv.: 1600

A priceless relic in the mausoleum. This statue is 'turning' from bronze to gold! What do you think?? The statue ability to 'absorb' gold papers....or...The statue rust due to prolong exposure to air and water?

Title: Eyes Wide Shut
Location: Wat hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน, Hat Yai หาดใหญ่, Southern Thailand
Date: 1 September 2009, 11:05am
Camera: Nikon D60 with Aperture: f/5.3, ISO Equiv.: 1600

I wonder why the eyes are closed?


Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน - Getting There:

The temple is located in Phetkasem Road, near Khlong U Taphao Bridge.
You may hire a tuk-tuk from central Hat Yai to the temple - 20 to 25 minutes ride

Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน - Entrance Fee:

Entrance is FOC. Just avoid those pesky ladies asking for temple donations.

Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน - Things to see:

a) World's third largest reclining Buddha
b) Buddha relics in the mausoleum

Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน - Read More:

Reviews from Virtualtourist http://tinyurl.com/m5e3fc

Wat Hat Yai Nai วัดหาดใหญ่ใน - Google Maps:


4 comments

  1. fufu Says:
  2. wow... i heart buddha :)
    and the reclining buddha is BEAUTIFUL =p

     
  3. fufu Says:
  4. lol never accept any offer from strangers while travelling especially ladies... unless fufu is with you... XD didnt i tell you? lol

     
  5. Shelyn Says:
  6. But mylo is not lady :-p

    I can understand you, mylo.. sometimes it's just too hard to reject them... there were many times that I bought something in poorer countries just to help them but not that I really need the thing... imagine just a few dollars from us but it's big enough to buy a meal for a whole family in those poorer countries.

     
  7. shloke Says:
  8. @fufu,

    Yep, it's a BEAUTY! I try to avoid them but failed. One of them as old as my mom and another one is younger. Feel guilty at some point. Learn my lesson :)

    @Shelyn,

    Very true!

    Cheers!
    mylo

     
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shloke
Traveling & photography are the most rewarding & enriching experiences in my life. Photography is all about discovery, enjoying myself, having adventure, learning people & nature. The greatest experience for me is the connection I felt with NATURE. If you haven’t seen Malaysia, you haven’t seen the world! My photography works are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.
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