Buddha Dordenma statue
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Buddha Dordenma is a large bronze statue of Shakyamuni constructed on the mountainside above Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. It is sited amidst the ruins of Kuensel Phodrang, the palace of Sherab Wangchuck, the 13th Desi Druk. Upon completion by the end of 2008, it will be the largest Buddha rupa in the world, at a height of 169 feet.
The statue alone is being built at a cost of US$47 million, by Aerosun Corporation of Nanjing, China, while the total cost of the Buddha Dordenma Project is well over US$100 million. The interior will accommodate 100,000 units of 8-inch-tall and 25,000 units of 12-inch-tall gilded Buddha respectively. Names of sponsors will be displayed in the meditation hall, i.e. inside the throne of the Buddha Dordenma.
Apart from commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Bhutanese monarchy, not only does its construction fulfill a prophesy made by Sonam Zangpo, a renowned yogi, that a large statue of either Padmasambhava, Buddha or of a phurba would be built in the region to bestow blessings, peace and happiness on the whole world, but it also has been prophesied in the terma of Guru Padmasambhava himself.
