The Very 1st batch of Than Kong's Bucha Statue

Composing begins on 2 June 2015.

***信不信由你***

 Phra Vicaranayanmuni Nayaka Maha Thera

Featuring another stunning collection of mine.  Khron Rachanaren @ Phor Than Kong @ Tok Raja B.E. 2506 Bucha by late Cau Khun Chan and Than Mit. According to late Phor Mor Keaw, this statue was consecrated at Wat Pokok Sagu @ Wat Khosakaram in 1963. Cau Khun Chan and Than Mit, Na Cau Thong, Phor Mor Keaw and others Bangsek  lineage Phor Mors were involved in the making and Phuthapisek ceremonies.

This superb bucha was made as a commemoration of the demise of late Than Kong. Late Cau Khun Chan and Than Mit led the mission to make this superb bucha. This bucha was sponsored by few local Chinese Entrepreneurs  including some local Tanah Merah and Pasir Mas goldsmiths.

This awe-inspiring 06 Bucha was inserted with many sacred materials and then filled up with brown cement   instead of white clay. Approximately 4.6 kg in weight. Some with kring and some without.

The kring is actually a rough needle made of Satalohak - 6 types of minerals and a piece of hand inscribed takrut. According to late Mor Keaw, it was late Than Kong hand engraved takrut ! Extremely rare !  

According to Phor Mor Keaw this 06 batch bucha was made in limited numbers and was ONLY distributed among the close devotees. This bucha consists  of at least of 6 Phims;

1st   Phim - Straight head posture with tongkat on the lap.
2nd Phim - Straight head posture without tongkat on the lap.
3rd  Phim - Head leans to the right with tongkat on the lap.
4th  Phim - Head leans to the right without tongkat on the lap
5th  Phim  - Tongkat head / top on the left lap
6th  Phim - 100% cement  without tongkat on the lap.

Recently there were rumours spreading among the naïve Dollars & Cents collectors about this 06 Bucha. They spread the rumours / misleading information by saying that this 06 Bucha was made by Late Cau Khun Mit at Wat Peyaram in Tangkak, Johor.

Well, it is quite true that most of these 06 Buchas were owned by Johorean and Singaporean. Most of them rented this bucha from Late Cau Khun Mit at Wat Peyaram. Bear in mind that, most of the 06 bucha rented from Wat Peyaram were GILDED bucha ( with gold plated ) and not the brown copper ! Reverend Sri Wan ( Maechi ) in Wat Peyaram Tangkak was the person who led the gold plating project for this bucha.

Actually this 06 Bucha was made and consecrated in Wat Pokok Sagu @ Wat Khosakaram. After the Phithi and Phutapisek the statues were kept at Wat Uttamaram by late Cau Khun Chan. Late Phor Mor Keaw said that Late Cau Khun Chan did not distribute openly this 06 bucha to devotees. This bucha was only given specially for the main donors and sponsors. Most of the buchas were kept secretly in the Ubosot because.........

" Muloh ni ( Than Chan ) SAYE ( loves ) bucha ini dan SAYE nok lepas bui ore bucha ".            

Said Phor Mor Keaw.

After the demised of the late Cau Khun Chan. Than Mit brought all those 06 Buchas to Wat Tangkak. Cau Khun Mit emphasised that there were a few thefts cases ( before the grille installation at the staircase ) in Wat Uttamaram while he was away and resided at Wat Uttamayamunee in Singapore. That was the reason why Than Mit  had brought all of the precious stuffs ( Than Kong maikru, bucha 06, Rian kao, 139  silver based pidta and others ) to Wat Peyaram, Tangkak.

The photo above is the original Than Kong's 06 brown copper bucha before going through the gold painting / plating by late Reverend Sri Wan ( Maechi ) in Wat Peyaram Tangkak.

 

Why  brown copper and gilded buchas ? The brown copper bucha  is the original 06 Bucha which (mostly) only can be found in Kelantan whereas the gilded 06 bucha are mostly found in Johor and Singapore. The simple clarification are the brown copper was given away by Late Cau Khun Chan after the Phutaphisek in Wat Batu 5 and Wat Uttamaram, whereas the gilded bucha was rented from Cau Khun Mit from Wat Peyaram, Tangkak and Wat Uttayamunee, Singapore.

 Than Kong's 06 gilded bucha after the gold painting / plating by late Maechi

in Wat Peyaram Tangkak.

The real story behind this 06 Bucha.............

This 06 Bucha was originally made for only 2 blocks / moulds with 2 phims ( straight and leaning head postures - with and without tongkat on the lap ).

Late Cau Khun Mit's look yom and Phor Mor Keaw emphasised that those time - BE2506 ( 1963 ) it was diffilcult to gain and gather the materials needed to make this bucha. Gold, silver, copper, bronze were rare items. Money was another problem. The committees faced some difficulties to raise the fund. In order to solve those problem, the bucha was order / made in few times and by separate orders. According to Late Phor Mor Keaw this bucha was ordered / made in small quantities. The first order were only 30 buchas and followed by another 30 and 20 buchas later on. Late Phor Mor added that altogether the order was made in 3 separate orders.

" Dulu duit payoh. Tembaga payoh nok jupo. Puok tokey Cino odar sikit-sikit. Ada duit, ada bare baru odar ".            

Happened to be that all the 3 batches of orders were slightly different in designs. The dissimilarities are the head position - straight versus leans to the right. Another vast dissimilarity is the placing of the Maikru / Tongkat. Some of the maikru ( head / top ) was place on the right lap and some of the buchas came with the maikru ( head / top )  was on the left lap. The committees didn't realize the dissimilarities until the phutapisek was completed. The variances might  happened during the casting, pumping (the head) and wielding (the maikru) processes, perhaps ! 

Above photos are the samples of the dissimilarity between the 2 gilded buchas.  Straight head position with the maikru ( head / top )  is on the left lap and  head leans to the right with the maikru ( head / top )  is on the right lap.

Some naïve collectors claimed that the 06 Bucha with maikru on the left is fake and the one with maikru head on the right lap is genuine, rare and more powerful are baseless. Some even came out with their own theory that the straight head position is the 1st batch and head position which leaning to the right is the 2nd or the redo batch.  As mentioned above, there is nothing special about this dissimilarity.  It was only a slip-up or oversight during the casting, moulding, placing and wielding !

The 2 gilded phims with and without tongkat on the laps. ( photo  from unknown  internet sources )

 
About the 6th Phim - 100% brown cement 06 Bucha. So far I haven't seen one. The only 06 cement bucha that I saw was on late Phor Mor Keaw bucha altar. Late Phor Mor didn't mention about the quantity made. It was rough and easy to break statue.

  "Lepah baco tu muloh ni suruh pilih nok hok mano, aku napok doh, hok simen tu ".            

Another noteworthy / undisclosed secret embedded about this 06 Bucha is the embroidered DOT at the edge of the right eyebrow.

Close view of the undisclosed elevated DOT mark on the right edge of the eyebrow. Why the DOT  ? DOT or MOLE ? Accidentally or purposely ? Why at the right edge of eyebrow ? The answer is DUNNO ! Hahahahahaha.... Will talk in depth on that undisclosed DOT.

 Thai characters written on the 06 Bucha base ........

 Luang Phor Phra Vicharanayannamunee (Khron), Bangsek

Chau Khannak Yai Rak Kelantan 2506



 信不信由你 !

Composing ends on 1 January 2016. 

Merely Sharing @ Perkongsian Semata !

 Sabbe Satta Sukhita Hontuk !
Wiesukhihotu16 !