The huge seven-headed sea serpent (Naga) is there to protect Buddha from everything, including bad weather! The word Naga comes from the Sanskrit, and nag is still the word for snake, especially the cobra, in most of the languages of India. The Nagas are known for protecting the Buddha and other spiritual victors. This pose represents a time during the sixth week after Siddhartha's Enlightenment, when the naga king protected the meditating Buddha against heavy rainfall by making a shelter with his multi-headed hood and lifted him above the flood waters by coiling its body under him.
This beauty was seen in the stunningly situated temple complex of Wat Thaton in the far north of Thailand near the border with Mynamar (Burma). It was absolutely gleaming in the early morning sunshine; use of polarizer helped reduce some of the reflection and intensify the blue. The original was horribly processed with gharish colors. Natural looks better!