The Topping Off Ceremony at Wat Phra Singh UK took place on Sunday to mark the end of work at the community Peace Garden.
It is safe to say the rain did not put a dampener on the occasion, with the community coming out in full force to celebrate!
The ceremony followed the arrival of the impressive six-metre tall, bronzed Chedi into Runcorn from North Thailand. The statue has been meticulously installed to take centre stage in the garden. At the symbolic Topping Off Ceremony a ‘Yod Chat’ was placed at the very top, symbolising an umbrella, which in Buddhism represents the dome of the sky, casting a protective shadow onto the Earth.
As part of the event, a ‘sai sin’ was tied to the Yod Chat, whilst monks from across the UK and Wat Phra Singh UK’s resident monks chanted and placed symbolic objects into the Yod Chat before it was fixed to the Chedi. In attendance was the UK’s most senior monk from the Wat Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbeldon, which was the first temple in the UK.
Did you catch us on ITV Granada? ITV news joined in the celebrations – check out the feature to see what the ceremony meant to those in attendance: https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2024-09-09/location-of-classic-tv-comedy-transformed-into-buddhist-peace-garden
So, next time you are walking by don’t forget to stop and take a picture of this magnificent addition to Halton.
