In the heart of Bangkok, and by the luxurious Erawan Hotel,stands a shrine that houses the four faced Brahma;the Hindu god of creation. I was surprised to see the large number of crowds paying their respects and making merits to the Hindu god in the country of Buddhism, the small area was so crowded that it was really hard to take photos clear of people.
The shrine was built in 1956, in an attempt to eliminate the bad omens that were associated with starting the building of the Erawan Hotel on the wrong date, and the subsequent bad karma that followed, so an astrologer advised to build the shrine as an auspicious gesture.
I found the four-faced Brahma god interesting so I did a little research on it, and learned that the four faces represent the four Vedas,which are the sacred texts of Hinduism. You may also notice the beads or rosary the god is holding ,they represent the progression of creation. It is important to note that even though the Brahma is a Hindu god, it is the Thai representation of the god.
When we visited the shrine, Thai dancers were performing. I later learned that these dancers are hired by worshipers as a way to show appreciation for their prayers being answered.
We enjoyed visiting the shrine, watching the faithful pray and make offerings was awesome, the dancers made the shrine seem festive, and the trees around the shrine provided a nice shaded spot to watch Bangkok go by.
Comments (9)
That is quite a fancy shrine! It is interesting that it's Hindu; I would have thought it was a golden Buddha not Brahma. Love the tradition of hiring dancers to give thanks for answered prayers!
Posted by Annie | August 4, 2009 5:32 AM
Posted on August 4, 2009 05:32
Hi Candi, that's a really beautiful shrine and so interesting to learn about the symbolism and why it was built. Thailand is such an interesting country and I am really enjoying learning more about Thailand from your posts.
Thank you for sharing more of your photos and experiences. Have a great day today.
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | August 4, 2009 7:59 AM
Posted on August 4, 2009 07:59
Candi, that is so cool. And fantastic photos!
Posted by sandrac | August 4, 2009 1:23 PM
Posted on August 4, 2009 13:23
Candi, fascinating post about the four faced Brahma!
I wonder about the meaning of the yellow color of the flowers and candles.
Posted by María I. | August 4, 2009 1:40 PM
Posted on August 4, 2009 13:40
Thanks all for your comments.
Maria, I have researched the yellow color significance in Buddhism before and this is what I found on this website http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/color.htm:
"Yellow is has the highest symbolic value in Buddhism through its link with the saffron robes of monks.
This color, previously worn by criminals, was chosen by Gautam Buddha as a symbol of his humility and separation from materialist society. It thus signifies renunciation, desirelessness, and humility.
Yellow is the color of earth, and thus a symbol of rootedness and the equanimity of the earth."
Posted by candi | August 4, 2009 2:23 PM
Posted on August 4, 2009 14:23
Beautiful shrine! Sounds so moving that you were able to watch the people pray and make offerings. Thanks for another wonderful post! :)
Posted by Anne | August 5, 2009 7:28 PM
Posted on August 5, 2009 19:28
Thank you for the explanation. Interesting to learn the symbolism behind the color yellow in Buddhism.
Posted by María I. | August 6, 2009 3:20 PM
Posted on August 6, 2009 15:20
Great photos! The shrine is so beautiful!
You have inspired a lot of us to want to visit Thailand!
Posted by nancyhol | August 7, 2009 5:14 PM
Posted on August 7, 2009 17:14
How interesting that this shrine was built to eliminate the bad omens just because the building was started on the wrong date. It is a really beautiful shrine.
Posted by girasoli | August 10, 2009 2:14 AM
Posted on August 10, 2009 02:14