ROUNDSTUBE/aven1961

This Big Buddha – the largest in the region – is the highlight of Wat Phra Yai, a temple built in the 1940s.  The Buddha image is located on top of Pratamnak Hill, just South of the city of Pattaya.  The Big Buddha is extremely popular with tour groups who love to see the intricate design of the statue and the temple complex, but it is also revered by local people who come to pray at the temple. Despite the crowds, the wreaths of flowers and burning incense create a reflective mood in which to explore the many smaller Buddha statues and partial views of Jomtien Beach. The staircase leading up to the temple is quite striking as there are golden dragons running along the entire handrails, and at the foot of the stairs, seven-headed mythical snakes called Nagas emerge from the dragon’s mouths. Once at the top, visitors like to take photographs with the many Buddha figures in different postures viz., sitting, standing and others lying down which are representative of different days of the