So revered is this Buddha image that no one but the King himself is allowed to touch it. Three times a year, to correspond with the changing of the Thai seasons, the King changes the Buddha's robes in an important ritual to ensure good fortune in the months ahead.
The Emerald Buddha is just over 2 ft (0.6 m) tall and sits in a magnificent shrine within the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The temple itself contains some of the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture, architecture and decorative craft in Thailand.