The reclining Buddha statue has become a popular tourist attraction whenever people visit Buddhist places of worship around the world, such as India, Thailand, Nepal, and Myanmar.
The reclining Buddha statue represents Buddha’s moment during his final illness and entrance to parinirvana.
He lies on his right side, his head resting on a pillow or resting on his right arm propped by his elbow. After the Buddha died, his followers decided to build a statue of him lying down.
You don’t need to go abroad to find this style of Buddha statue; Indonesia has a range of its own large reclining Buddha statues, sited from Bogor to Bali.
Vihara Dhammadipa Arama
This place is the largest and oldest monastery in Batu City, Malang, founded in 1971 on an area of five hectares.
Located at an altitude of about 1,000 metres above sea level, visitors can feel a cool breeze at this monastery.
Vihara Dharma Giri
A reclining Buddha statue is usually covered in gold, yet the statue at this monastery located in Tabanan, Bali is pure white.
The panoramic view of the Buddha statue and the mountain behind it is very photogenic when the sky is clear.
Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong
Located in Semarang, this monastery also displays a Buddha statue lying on its back.
Covering an area of 2.25 hectares, this monastery consists of five main buildings and two additional buildings.
There is also a bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) which originates from Bodh Gaya in India, the location that’s believed to be the place where the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
Here, you’ll not only find Buddha statues; visitors can also see the Metakaruna Pagoda (Pagoda Avalokitesvara) which means the pagoda of love, inspired by Dewi Kwan Im – whose statue is also inside.
At 45 metres high with seven levels, this pagoda has a record as the tallest pagoda in Indonesia.
Maha Vihara Mojopahit
The city of Mojokerto in East Java is known as a city full of historical sites from the Majapahit Kingdom, one of which can be seen in Trowulan. This city also has the Maha Vihara Mojopahit, a place of worship with beautiful architecture as well as a reclining Buddha statue. In fact, the Buddha statue here is known to be the third-largest in Asia, after Thailand and Nepal.
Vihara Buddha Dharma & 8 Pho Sat
Not many people are aware that the sight of a lying Buddha statue can be enjoyed in Bogor, to be precise at Vihara Buddha Dharma & 8 Pho Sat.
This 18-metre Buddha statue, at a height of 3.75 metres, has been there since 2010.