Vihara Mongkol Bopit

Vihara Mongkol Bopit is located on the south side of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet. Each day visitors are crowded inside to pay respects to Phra Mongkol Bopit, the large bronze Buddha covered with gold leaves. Once walking into the main Vihara, the fullfilling sensation received from looking up at Phra Mongkol Bopit is the peacefulness from the Buddha’s gentle face.
Phra Mongkol Bopit is in Subduing Mara posture measuring 12.45 meters in height, and considering one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in Thailand. The body was made out of brick and plaster. The outer was covered with bronze and then gold leaves.
There is no historical evidence about when this statue was created. However, from the Buddha’s squared facial design and the gentle-arch eye brows, these show the influence from Sukhothai art, which implies that this Buddha image was built in the middle of The Ayutthaya Era.
The chronicles mention that in 1603 A.D., King Songtham ordered the image known as Phra Mongkol Bophit to be relocated from the east to the west and commanded the construction of a Mandapa, the same style as that at Buddha’s Footprint in Saraburi, to house this image of the Buddha as shown in present days.
The Vihara itself has been restored many times. In the reign of King Sua, lightening struck the top of the Mandapa and it collapsed. The head of Phra Mongkol Bophit fell off. As a result, the King had the Mandapa rebuilt and turned into a Vihara. In the reign of King Borommakot, another restoration took place. When Ayutthaya was sacked, the Vihara was apparently burnt.
The present Vihara was built around 1956 A.D. in the government of Prime Minister General Plaek Pibulsonggram.
Anecdotes
During the restoration in 1957, the Fine Arts Department found many small Buddha’s images contained inside the right chest of Phra Mongkol Bopit statue. Currently they were on a display in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.