| The Great Buddha | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Great Buddha at Bodh Gaya | |
| Artist | V. Ganapati Sthapati |
| Year | 1982 (started) 18 November 1989 (inaugurated) |
| Type | Statue |
| Medium | Mix of sandstone blocks and red granite. |
| Dimensions | 19.5 m (64 ft) high /the height of the lotus 6 ft |
| Location | Bodh Gaya, India |
| 24°41′25.7″N 84°58′54.5″E / 24.690472°N 84.981806°E | |
| Owner | Daijokyo Buddhist Temple |
The Great Buddha statue (Daibutsu) is one of the popular stops on the Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist routes in Bodh Gaya, Bihar (India). The statue is 18.5 m (61 ft)[1] high representing the Buddha seated in a meditation pose, or dhyana mudra, on a lotus in the open air.[2] The total height of the construction is 80 ft (24 m) of which the Buddha makes up 64 ft (20 m), the lotus on which the Buddha sits 5 ft (1.5 m) and the lower pedestal 10 ft (3.0 m). The construction's width is nearly 60 ft (18 m) at its maximum. The statue was designed by V. Ganapati Sthapati[3] and took seven years to complete using the labor of 12,000 stonemasons. It is constructed from a combination of sandstone and red granite blocks.[4] A hollow spiral staircase inside the statue leads from the ground up to the chest. Shelves on the interior walls display 16,300 small bronze images of the Buddha.[5] The Great Buddha statue is located in a garden at the end of Temple Street and is surrounded by smaller sculptures of Buddha's ten principal disciples, five on each side.[6] The Great Buddha was possibly the largest Buddha statue in India at the time and was consecrated on 18 November 1989 by the 14th Dalai Lama.[7] The foundation stone for the statue was laid in 1982.[7]
