The earliest legend about the iconic image of the Emerald Buddha is that of Nagasena, a saint in India who, with the help of Hindu god Vishnu and demigod Indra, had the Emerald Buddha image made, 500 years after Buddha attained Nirvana. With his psychic powers Nagasena predicted that:[1]
The image of the Buddha is assuredly going to give to religion the most brilliant importance in five lands, that is in Lankadvipa (Sri Lanka), Ramalakka, Dvaravati, Chieng Mai and Lan Chang (Laos).