Phuket Wat Chalong Buddha Ashes

The theme letter for our ‪‎travel pics this week is T, for Thailand

For Saturday, its Buddha’s Burned Bones!

Well, strictly speaking, it’s a reliquary that supposedly contains ashes of the Buddha, at a Wat, or temple, in Phuket.

Wat Chalong is the most significant of nearly 30 Wats, or temples, on the island and in the Grand Pagoda there’s a display – seen here – which supposedly contains a fragment of one of Buddha’s bones (or the ashes thereof).

It’s claimed to be one of only nine such reliquaries in the world.

The original Wat’s history is shrouded in antiquity – but the current buildings date to the 1800s.

The Grand Pagoda is a truly impressive Stupa, climbing 65 metres above the surrounds – and this shrine is in the highest part.

There are also  fascinating Stupas, prayer halls and a large Ubosot, or ordination hall – and outside there is a kiln where fireworks are set alight.

Our tour-guide told us it was to drive away demons – but apparently, it’s actually where grateful supplicants buy a string of fireworks and have them detonated, to signify that a prayer has been answered – a bit like printing a newspaper classified thanking St Jude.