The Emerald Buddha is the symbol of the Kingdom of Thailand. It is a statue of a sitting Buddha. The Buddha is made of green jade, not emerald, and is about 45 cm tall. He is dressed in gold. The Chapel of the Emerald Buddha, which is on the grounds of Bangkok's Grand Palace, is where the Buddha is kept.
The Emerald Buddha is said to have been made by Nagasena in the Indian city of Pataliputra, which is now called Patna, in 43 BCE. Some of the best historians think it was made in the 15th century in the Chiang Saen style. The legend says that it stayed in Pataliputra for 300 years, until it was moved to Sri Lanka to save it from a civil war. Then, in 457, King Anuruth of Burma sent a request to Ceylon for the Emerald Buddha and Buddhist texts. The king did these things to try to help Buddhism grow in his country. This request was granted, but the ship carrying the Buddha to Burma got lost in a storm and ended up in Cambodia. After that, the Buddha went through Ayutthaya, Kamphaeng Phet, Lao, and finally Chiang Rai. The ruler of the city finally hid it in Chiang Rai.
Sources say that the statue didn't show up again in Northern Thailand until 1434. One story can be told about the find: "After lightning hit a pagoda in a temple in Chiang Rai, something under the stucco was able to be seen. When the Emerald Buddha was found, people thought it was made of emerald, which is how it got its name."
Even though the Buddha is only a simple jade statue, it is dressed in fine gold clothes. The King of Thailand changes the clothes on Buddha to mark the change of seasons. Three times a year, this happens: 1st Waning of Lunar Months 4, 8, and 12
