The Great Buddha Dordenma, a massive Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Bhutan’s Himalayas, commemorates the 60th anniversary of fourth king Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The statue contains almost a hundred thousand lesser Buddha statues, each of which, like the Great Buddha Dordenma, is fashioned of bronze and coated with gold. The Great Buddha Dordenma is located amid the remains of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuk, the thirteenth Druk Desi, and overlooks the southern approach to Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu. Construction began in 2006 and was scheduled to end in October 2010, but it was not completed until September 25, 2015. The completed creation is one of the largest Buddha rupas in the world, measuring 177 feet (54 meters) and containing 100,000 8-inch-tall and 25,000 12-inch-tall gilded bronze Buddhas.
The statue was built at a cost of US$47 million by Aerosun Corporation of Nanjing, China, and financed by Singaporean billionaire Rinchen Peter Teo. The total project cost is much over $100 million. The inside will accommodate accordingly. The names of sponsors are exhibited in the meditation hall, which serves as the throne of the Great Buddha Dordenma. Apart from marking the Bhutanese monarchy’s centennial, it also fulfills two predictions. In the twentieth century, yogi Sonam Zangpo predicted that a big statue of Padmasambhava, Buddha, or a phurba will be created in the location to impart blessings, peace, and happiness on the entire world. Furthermore, the statue is described in the old terma of Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava, himself, said to date from approximately the eighth century, and recovered some 672 years ago by Terton Dorji Lingpa.
In 2011, the Kuensel Phodrang nature park was solemnly opened in front of the Buddha statue. The park protects 943.4 acres of wooded space surrounding the Buddha Dordenma statue and has two public outdoor gymnasiums that debuted in 2015.
