An enshrinement ceremony for a newly installed statue of Konagamana Buddha was held on 29 December at Ba Den Mountain, in Vietnam’s Tay Ninh Province. The ceremony, organized by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), brought together more than 450 monks, dignitaries, and sangha representatives from across the country. The statue officially opened to pilgrims and visitors for worship and veneration on 1 January.
The ceremony was presided over by Ven. Thich Thanh Phong, vice president of the VBS Executive Council and head of its Central Committee for Economics and Finance, who served as chair of the organizing committee. Senior VBS leaders were present to offer spiritual testimony, including Most Ven. Vien Minh, deputy supreme patriarch of the Patronage Council; Most Ven. Thich Thien Nhon, deputy supreme patriarch and president of the Executive Council; and Most Ven. Thich Thanh Nhieu, standing vice president of the Executive Council. Ven. Thich Quang Tam, head of the Tay Ninh provincial Buddhist Sangha Administration Board, and representatives from provincial sanghas nationwide also attended.
A sequence of ritual observances marked the enshrinement, including Buddha-name recitations, purification rites, consecration and installation rituals, and sutra chanting. A lantern-offering ceremony concluded the event, with prayers dedicated to world peace and the well-being of all beings.
Cast in red copper and gilded with 24-carat gold, the Konagamana Buddha statue stands 7.2 meters tall at the highest point of the Ba Den Mountain summit. The figure is shown seated in full lotus posture on a lotus pedestal set within Udumbara Lake. The Buddha’s right hand forms a teaching mudra, symbolizing the period of teaching, while the left hand holds a fig fruit, recalling Konagamana Buddha’s awakening beneath the Udumbara—or fig—tree.
Encircling the statue is the Udumbara Waterfall, measuring 12 meters in height and 50 meters in diameter. The waterfall is supported by 32 golden pillars, symbolizing the 32 marks of a Buddha. Water flows into Udumbara Lake below, creating a symbolic space of auspiciousness and blessings extending into the human realm.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ven. Thich Thanh Nhieu highlighted the statue’s significance. “The dignified seated posture beneath a decades-old fig tree carries profound and humanistic meaning, guiding people toward cultivating a life of peace, fulfillment, and spiritual purity,” he said, adding that the enshrinement “marks a new stage in embellishing and enhancing the timeless values that the sacred land of Ba Den Mountain has bestowed upon humanity,” serving as “a spiritual anchor for local communities as well as pilgrims and visitors from afar.” (Vietnamnet Global)
Ba Den Mountain is among the few locations in Vietnam to enshrine a corporeal representation of Konagamana Buddha, traditionally regarded as the fifth of seven buddhas of the past. Buddhist tradition holds that on the day of Konagamana Buddha’s birth, a rain of gold descended from the heavens, giving rise to his name, which is associated with golden auspiciousness.
Historical accounts also link Konagamana Buddha to South Asia. The Chinese monk and renowned Buddhist translator Xuanzang recorded that relics of Konagamana Buddha were enshrined in a stupa at Nigali Sagar, in what is now Nepal’s Kapilvastu district.
The statue joins other major Buddhist icons on Ba Den Mountain, including the Tay Bo Da Son Lady Buddha, representing compassion, and the Maitreya Bodhisattva, symbolizing joy and equanimity. Together, organizers say, these figures represent the buddhas of the past, present, and future, reinforcing Ba Den Mountain’s role as a significant pilgrimage destination in southern Vietnam.
See more
Statue of Konagamana Buddha on Ba Den Mountain to welcome pilgrims, visitors (Vietnamnet Global)
Grand ceremony prays for a peaceful, prosperous new year (VietnamPlus)
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