The giant demon (about 20 feet high, I'd guess) is one of eight (I think), anyway they stand in pairs facing away from the emerald buddha, to guard the inner area from any evil spirits or other dangers.
There's no way to describe the magnificent opulence of the whole outer area--at every step is a new source of visual wonder. A cloister-like courtyard has murals of the epic poems, every step and doorway is decorated, small pavilions house separate Buddha images, floors and ceilings are mosaics of tiles or glass or gold or mother-of-pearl.
The inner area where the Emerald Buddha resides is a place of reverence, thus off-limits for photography. It has a rich beauty all its own, more serene and elegant. The Emerald Buddha is actually made of a single large piece of jade (maybe three feet high?) He was rescued from a temple in rural Thailand after a fire, was a plaster buddha image and thus revered but not especially treasured. Then someone noticed that his nose showed a bit of green (so the story is told by our guide); they carefully chipped away the plaster to reveal the magnificent, translucent green buddha that we see today.
The Buddha is clad in a suit of 24-karat gold. The costume is ceremonially changed three times a year to the suit of each season (Winter, Summer, Rainy--read: Hot, Hotter, Wetter). We were able to see the Winter and Rainy suits on display; he currently wears the Summer suit. Traditionally the king is the changer of the Buddha's suit; the last few times the Crown Prince has taken over the fairly arduous task. I imagine the costumes are quite heavy; the guide said the range in cost is 1 million $, 1.5 million and 2.5 million and they are truly gorgeous.
Enough--I'm overwhelmed by sensory beauty, am just beginning to understand the Buddhist philosophy underlying it all.
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