The Unity of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth is an ambitious project undertaken by a very rich Thai man to highlight the basic concepts of Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslim and Christianity which hold true for all people.  Since 1981 he has been having this huge building built of intricately carved wood.  He has died, but his son is carrying on the work.  It will never be done.  As a section is completed, another older section needs repair.  One pillar is made of ironwood.  Everything else is mahogany or rosewood.


There are no nails in the structure.
Everything is held together by interlocking parts.    Pieces of wood are chosen for the grain.  Several pieces may be nailed together for the carving of a single statue or figure, but when the carving is completed, the nails are removed and the pieces joined by wooden locks, dowels and wedges. 
There are many enemies of this structure --termites, weather, sea breezes and fire.  There is an elaborate fire suppression system, but it
would not take much for all that wood to burn.





There is a master plan and templates for the various parts, but we also saw artists drawing designs freehand.  All the carving is done by hand by hundreds of carvers.  When a piece is completed, it is attached in the appropriate place on the building, either outside or inside the building..

The result is a magnificent work of art using symbols from all four religions.

After our tour we were entertained by a troupe of Thai dancers.  Dancers train from a very young age to develop the flexibility of their hands and fingers.

Our final stop was to see yet another large Buddha and a temple on the highest point in the city, overlooking the city of Pattaya and the ocean.  Notice the long many-headed snake which forms the sides of the stairs.  This is the Naga, a creature important to their religion.  It may have any odd number of heads.