Buddha Dordenma Statue

As you gradually climb the hill in Kuenselphodrang Nature Park, the enormous statue of Lord Buddha starts revealing itself. It is a view that leaves you impressed at first sight. Seated against the backdrop of a mountain, the statue of Lord Buddha bathes the surroundings with his benevolent stare. From a distance, all you see is one gigantic statue. However, there is a surprise that awaits you, and it is only when you come closer that you come to know what it is.

The Buddha Dordenma Statue is one of the most beautiful sights in Bhutan to come across. It extends to almost 169 feet in height, and encloses within its bronze chest 1,25,000 miniature Buddhas. These range from 8 to 12 inches tall. Come to think about it, Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan, has a population of around 1,00,000, which is less compared to the number of Buddhas on this structure!

The enormous statue of Lord Buddha baffles everybody with its colossal size. It sits at a height of 51.5 meters, which makes it one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The throne upon which he is seated is a large meditation hall.

Like so many other religious structures in Bhutan, this statue too is associated with two prophecies. The first of these was made by Yogi Sonam Sangpo, who said that a statue would be built in this region to bestow blessings, peace and happiness to the entire world”. The second prophecy was made by Guru Padmasambhava in the eight century (Guru Padmasambhava is widely respected by Tibetan Buddhists as the second Buddha”.