Latest / The Srivijaya Empire: Southeast Asia's Forgotten Maritime Superpower — Fexingo History
Srivijaya's Golden Tara: The Buddhist Statue That Crossed Oceans
In 1935, a farmer in Sumatra unearthed a life-sized golden statue of a Buddhist deity — the Golden Tara. This episode traces the statue's journey from its origins in 8th-century Java, possibly commissioned by the Sailendra dynasty, to its discovery in a Sumatran riverbed and eventual arrival in Bangkok's Wat Traimit temple. We explore the statue's craftsmanship, its connection to Srivijaya's maritime trade networks, and the debates over how such a precious object ended up buried in a remote corner of the empire. Along the way, we touch on gold sources in Southeast Asia…
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