The bot housing the Emerald Buddha is the largest building in the temple complex. The entrance to the bot’s interior can be found on the eastern side. The center portal can only be used by the King. Three times a year, the Thai King himself enters the bot to change the Buddha’s vestments.
Inside, you’ll see a nine-metre-high pedestal supporting the Emerald Buddha. (It’s actually made of jadeite, not emerald.) Respect for the Buddha is required in its presence – when you sit before it, your feet must point away from the relic.
The Emerald Buddha’s history can be traced back to 1434, upon its discovery in Chiang Rai. It had made its way to the northern Thai city by way of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Cambodia, hidden in plaster. As it was being transported, the plaster was damaged, revealing the green relic within.
In 1778, the Emerald Buddha was finally brought to its final resting place in Wat Phra Kaeo.
