Agra, May 19 (IANS) A six-foot gold-plated statue of Buddha has been put on display in Buddha Vihar here. The statue is a gift by Queen Sikrit of Thailand to Uttar Pradesh Lalit Kala Academy chairman Ajaysheel Gautam, who donated it to the Buddha Vihar. The statue, which has Buddha in a meditating posture, is said to be worth about Rs.1.4 million.

According to Gautam, the Thai queen had invited him to meditation centre in Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh last month where the present was handed over to him. Buddha is believed to have meditated in Shravasti for 25 years.

“It is a beautiful statue and you just cannot remain uninspired or unmoved by the aura of the Buddha,” Gautam told IANS.