Postcard: The Buddha Tree

Ayutthaya, Thailand (16^th April 2011)

During my travels in Thailand, I had seen a lot of statues and idols of the Buddha. However, I found a very peculiar one in Wat Maha That temple in Ayutthaya. Here, the Buddha’s head is lodged in the tangled roots of a large tree and there is also a fascinating story behind it. It is said that when the Burmese chopped of the heads of all the Buddha statues during their invasion in the 18^th century, this particular head fell into the roots of a Bodhi tree and stayed there. Over time the roots have grown around the head in such a way as to naturally create a touristic highlight. This sight alone made my day!