2011, DEC 29: THAILAND, PATTAYA-Sanctuary of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth is a huge, almost 350ft-tall structure, on the shores of Rachvate Cape, near Pattaya. It has been built entirely of wood, using ancient Thai techniques. Started in 1981, it is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Inside and out, almost every inch of the structure is filled with hand-carved wood sculptures and sculptural details, which are based on traditional Hindu and Buddhist myths and beliefs.

An official brochure describes the mission of the Sanctuary in the following words: “From various forms of art, no matter what nationality or religion they are, to reflect thoughts and spirits of eastern cultures and announce to the world the complete and long-standing profundity. The truth that was shown through the Sanctuary is the relationship between human beings and the universe, which are the father, the mother, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. They are not just fantasies, but the truth of being human that eastern philosophers had searched for and discovered from time immemorial.”

The steps at the front entrance lead up to a sculpture of Hindu god Shiva, with his consort
Parvati and their two sons..

Inside walls are covered with large sculptural arrays around Shiva to represent the mountain element;...

...the Vraha (Boar) incarnation of Vishnu rescuing earth from the depths of the ocean, to represent the earth element;...

...and Brahma to represent the sky element.

Also niches along the ceiling bear sculptural representation of various planets including Mars, and Venus.

At the end of the guided tour we were terribly hungry. We headed to an onsite restaurant for lunch.