Research & Article

Within the outer bot courtyard at Wat Pra Chetuphon are two mounds with bamboo clumps and images of hermits, also known as rishis or asiddhas. The stucco rishi statues, which perform distinctive yogic exercises to relieve particular illnesses, are associated with herbal gardens scattered throughout the Buddhavasa precincts during the third reign, and thus the medical schools of the time period. Unfortunately, out of the 80 total statues commissioned by King Rama III, only 18 have survived to modern day. This article aims to build upon the work of Mr. A.B. Griswold, who commented on one half of the figures in an earlier paper, by discussing the remaining nine statues.