Hermit statues to return to Wat Pho

Authorities plan to show the original number of 80 contorting hermit statues at Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram or Wat Pho next March and promote the popular Buddhist temple of Bangkok as a national learning centre of healing arts.

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Return of original 80 contorting hermits 

Dumrongkiat Mala

Authorities plan to show the original number of 80 contorting hermit statues at Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram or Wat Pho next March and promote the popular Buddhist temple of Bangkok as a national learning centre of healing arts.

Suthep Wacharapiyanone, director-general of the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM), on Tuesday announced the 8-million-baht plan to increase the number of the well-known contorting hermits or Ruesee Dat Ton in Thai from 24 to 80.

The metal statues dated from 180 years ago in the reign of King Rama III who had ordered the construction of 80 zinc-tin hermit statues to showcase healthy Thai massage techniques.

The statues were originally placed in 16 pavilions at Wat Po but theft and damage reduced their number to 24.

''We want to rebuild all Ruesee Dat Ton statues and make Wat Pho the country's learning centre of the traditional healing arts like 180 years ago once again,'' Mr Suthep said.

Nine new statues were recently completed and placed there and the rest would be finished by March 2017, he said.

Phra Thep Veeraporn, the abbot of the temple, said that each year 3,000-5,000 people studied traditional Thai healing arts, including those presented the hermit statues, at Wat Pho and 30-40% of them were foreigners from 135 countries.

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