Buddha Head in Growing Banyan Tree Roots - Wat Mahathat

The Head of the Buddha Statue Sitting inside the Banyan Tree Roots.

All destinations have these unforgettable sites tourists wish to have a glimpse of when they travel. Exploring Thailand would not be complete without visiting the famous Buddha Head statue sitting on a growing Banyan Tree Roots. It is found in Ayutthaya in an ancient temple called Wat Mahathat. From Bangkok, we traveled North by 80 Kilometers, almost 30 minutes by a bus provided by our tour agent.

Seeing the Buddha gave us to awe, different from just looking on photographs. The Buddha’s head encapsulated in the tree gives a sense of mystery of how it happened to be there. There were countless versions on the internet. Looking directly at the Buddha felt like it has some live aura in it that I can’t explain.

Security Guards were very strict in watching over the Banyan Tree with the head statue. They asked us to pay respect by wearing clothes not showing the knees and shoulders for women and long pants for men. The area is very sacred that as a tourist, we must show respect in every way we could. For taking pictures, our tour guide courteously asked us to be in a praying position.

One of the highlights of the tour was when our guide, through microphone gave us an account of the ancient city. Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam (the former name of Thailand). Back then, it was a very prosperous city famous in all Southeast Asia and to the world. The city was rich in agriculture, trade, and culture. Gold items were found everywhere from temples to jewelries of its citizens that in stories, gold were found inside the head of each Buddha statues that the Burmese took advantage of them when the war took place during the 1700s. The invading Burmese army burned and stole everything they saw. The Buddha head in the Banyan Tree Roots of Wat Mahathat was said to have been stolen by a thief but because of its weight, he decided to abandon it and take it back after some time. Over time, the Banyan Tree beside the head statue grew to encapsulate it. The mystery of how the face of the Buddha was kept intact by the growing roots is still a mystery to some but believers attributed it as one great phenomenon relating to their faith that we need to respect and treasure. I could say that my visit to Thailand gave me fulfillment seeing this as one of my favorites sites in the country.