Monthly Photos　Jun 2022

Photos taken by ILCAA staff and associates are posted here once a month; most of them are taken during their field research in Asia and Africa.

(The copyright belongs to the photographers.)

Wat Phothivihan

There are several facilities named using the Thai word “wat” (temples and so on) in Kelantan, Malaysia, which borders Thailand. Wat Photibihan is one of them and is famous for its Reclining Buddha. This 40-meter statue of the Reclining Buddha lies under a roof, shading it from the tropical sunlight. Taking off my shoes, I walked along the cool tiled floor to the rear of the statue and found a quiet space lined with various Buddha statues. A Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, marked “凖提賓殿” in Chinese characters, is also found within the spacious precincts. Thai Theravada Buddhism and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism are mixed, creating a unique harmony in Malaysia, which holds Islam as the national religion.

Mar 3, 2018
Tumpat, Kelantan, Malaysia
Photograph by KAWAI, Aya