The Phra Phuttha Sihing ( Thai : พระพุทธสิหิงค์ ) is a highly revered image of the Gautama Buddha in Bangkok , Thailand , second in importance only after the Emerald Buddha . The image is currently housed at the Phutthaisawan Hall (formerly a part of the Front Palace ), now the Bangkok National Museum . The image was brought to Bangkok from Wat Phra Singh , Chiang Mai in 1795 by Viceroy Maha Sura Singhanat , the brother of King Rama I .
17-592: The exact provenance of the Phra Phuttha Sihing image is still in question. The name Sihing comes from Sinhala the name of several kingdoms in Sri Lanka. According to legend the Phra Phuttha Sihing image was created in Sri Lanka around 157 A.D. and was brought to Thailand in 1307 to Sukhothai . Later it was relocated to Phitsanulok , Ayutthaya in 1378, Kamphaeng Phet in 1382 and Chiang Rai in 1388, before it
34-606: Is known about the history of the island before this time. According to the Mahāvamsa , a chronicle written in Pāḷi , the inhabitants of Sri Lanka prior to the Sinhala migration were the mythical Yakkha ( Sanskrit : यक्ष yakṣa ; Pali : yakkha ) and Nāga races. Sinhalese history and the historical period of Sri Lanka traditionally starts in 543 BC with the arrival of Prince Vijaya . Legend has it that when Prince Vijaya landed on
51-662: The British takeover . While the Sinhala kingdom is claimed to have existed from 543 BCE to 1815 CE, other political entities claimed to have co-existed in Sri Lanka spanning certain partial periods, including the Jaffna kingdom (which existed 1215–1624 CE), Vanni chieftaincies (which existed from the 12th century to 1803 CE) and the Portuguese and Dutch colonies (which existed 1597–1658 CE and 1640–1796 respectively). During these partial periods of time, these political entities were not part of
68-539: The Sinhala kingdom, except Jaffna and the Vanni chieftaincies following the invasion by Parakramabahu VI , until his death. Records by Faxian thero and the Mahavamsa suggests it may have extended to Maldives and parts of India as well. Kingdom of Tambapanni [REDACTED] Sri Lanka portal The Kingdom of Tambapaṇṇī ( Sinhala : තම්බපණ්ණිය රාජධානිය , romanized: Tambapaṇṇī Rājadhāniya )
85-670: The aforementioned image in Bangkok, at least two other images in Thailand are identified with the Phra Phutta Sihing. One at Hor Phrabhut Sihing, Nakhon Si Thammarat and the other at Wat Phra Singh , Chiang Mai. The image is of the Buddha seated in the meditative posture ( vajrāsana or meditation attitude ), a stance commonly associated with Buddhist art found in Sri Lanka. This image was made of cast bronze and gilded with gold . The image
102-432: The colour of copper or bronze because when Vijaya and his followers landed in Sri Lanka, when their hands and feet touched the ground they became red with the dust of the red-earth. Therefore, the city founded on that spot was named Tambapaṇṇī. A derivative of this name is Taprobane (Greek). Ancient grave sites that were used before 600 BC and other signs of civilisation have also been discovered in Sri Lanka, but little
119-495: The head, the small spiky hair curls, the raised area above the upper lip, dimpling at the corner of the mouth and the style of the shawl began to appear in Lan Na images around 1480s - 1500s. The proof of the image's northern manufacture is in the Lotus throne , the pedestal with its lotus petal decorations, the filament making vertical striations and the anther or head creating a beaded rim to
136-684: The image was taken from Chiang Mai by King Rama I and his brother the Viceroy Maha Sura Singhanat to Bangkok, as war booty . At first, the image was enshrined at the Front Palace of the Viceroy ; after his death in 1803, the image was moved to the Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace by Rama I. It remained there until 1851, when King Mongkut raised his younger brother Prince Chutamani to
153-582: The plinth. These are features found only in Lan Na art. The crystal flame finial on the top of the head is unusual, since most bronze images will have a bronze finial. In Lan Na however the finials are cast separately and is removable, whereas in Sukhothai the whole image is always cast whole. The crystal material used for the image's flame finial is indicative of the special status of the image. Sinhala Kingdom [REDACTED] Sri Lanka portal The Sinhala kingdom or Sinhalese kingdom refers to
170-498: The shores of the island he kissed the sand, called it 'Thambapanni' and planted a flag depicting a lion in the ground. (The famous ' Sanchi ' ruins of India depict the events of Prince Vijaya'a landing). After landing in Tambapaṇṇī, Vijaya met Kuveni the queen of the Yakkhas , who was disguised as a beautiful woman but was really a yakkhini named Sesapathi. The Kingdom of Tambapaṇṇī
187-417: The successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka . The Sinhalese kingdoms are kingdoms known by the city at which its administrative centre was located. These are in chronological order: the kingdoms of Tambapanni , Upatissa Nuwara , Anuradhapura , Polonnaruwa , Dambadeniya , Gampola , Kotte , Sitawaka and Kandy . The Sinhala kingdom ceased to exist by 1815, following
SECTION 10
#1732851648500204-640: The unprecedented rank of Second King Pinklao . In order to celebrate the newly elevated status of Pinklao, King Mongkut gave the Second King the Phra Phuttha Sihing image. Considered the second most important Buddha image after the Emerald Buddha . The image was then taken back to the Front Palace (now the palace of Pinklao), where it was housed in the Phutthaisawan Hall, where it remains today. Apart from
221-518: Was brought back to Ayutthaya again and then back to Chiang Mai in 1407, where it was enshrined at Wat Phra Singh . When King Narai conquered Chiang Mai in 1662, he brought the Buddha image back to Ayutthaya, where it was enshrined for 105 years at Wat Phra Si Sanphet until the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, following which, the people of Chiang Mai brought the Buddha Sihing image back to Chiang Mai. In 1795,
238-513: Was founded by Prince Vijaya , the first Sinhalese King, and 700 of his followers after landing in Sri Lanka in an area near modern-day Mannar , which is believed to be the district of Chilaw. It is recorded that Vijaya made his landing on the day of Buddha's death. Vijaya claimed Tambapaṇṇī as his capital and soon the whole island became known by this name. Tambapaṇṇī was originally inhabited and governed by Yakkhas , and their queen Kuveni , with their capital at Sirīsavatthu. Upatissagāma
255-408: Was sculpted in classic Lan Na and Sukhothai style, but using Singhalese iconography. The images's facial features and long fingers are indicative of classic Lan Na style. The Sukhothai characteristics seems to manifest in the image's full cheeks and hooked nose. Along with these classical features, the image shows features that is suggestive of its northern origins. The removable finial on top of
272-681: Was the first Sinhalese kingdom in Sri Lanka . Its administrative centre was based at Tambapaṇṇī . It existed between 543 BC and 437 BC. According to the Mahavamsa , the Kingdom was founded by Prince Vijaya and his followers. Tambapaṇṇī is a name derived from Tāmraparṇī or Tāmravarṇī (in Sanskrit ). This has got reference to the Thamirabarani river in Southern Tamil Nadu , India . This means
289-406: Was the second capital of the kingdom. It was seven or eight miles further north of the previous capital Tambapaṇṇī . The city was established by Upatissa , a follower and senior minister of Vijaya . During the end of his reign Vijaya, who was having trouble choosing a successor, so sent a letter to the city of his ancestors at Sinhapura , in order to invite his brother Sumitta to take over
#499500