A giant Buddha statue dubbed the worst in the world for its grumpy face has been unveiled again after an emergency facelift.
The iffy effigy horrified religious leaders and government officials in Pursat City, Cambodia, after it was unveiled at the Wat Veal holy pagoda last year.
Some said the 29-metre (95-foot) colossus looked more like a child’s clay model built on a massive scale.
Critics were particularly harsh over the Buddha’s crudely modelled face which looked more grumpy than peacefully beatific.
Pagoda chief monk Chum Saroeun said: “The construction of the Buddha statue was done by a craftsman with little knowledge and limited technique.
“From a practical point of view, if we look at his face, he is actually more appropriate than looking from the side.”
Now the statue has been unveiled for a second time after craftsmen worked for eight months improving its face.
And instead of its grouchy, flat-nosed face the statue now has a holy. peaceful smile more in keeping with the Buddha’s traditional image.
Artisans also gave it a more traditional hairdo instead of the thuggish slicked-back style its original artist created.
Giant Buddha Statue To Get A Facelift After Criticism
The statue had been built with funds donated by local businessmen who wanted to put the region’s pagoda temple on the map.
But they were horrified when the finished sculpture was revealed and it quickly became a laughing stock on social media.
The facelift cost USD 19,000 (GBP 15,034) after the chief inspector of the Veal Pagoda Commission launched an appeal for public donations, according to local media.
Giant Buddhas date back centuries across Southeast Asia.
Although they are built as a sign of holiness, they are also among the world’s oldest tourist attractions and generate huge incomes for temples as followers flock to see them.
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