Erawan Shrine - Brahma in Bangkok

Sometimes, those who could not prosper in their own country unbelievably do so well in foreign lands. Perhaps this is meant not only for humans but also for the Gods. Lord Brahma, one of the trinity deities of Hinduism, has no temple or dedicated shrine in India (2-3 exceptions are there, which are not so popular). However, in Bangkok, finding a structure without a small or big shrine for Brahma is difficult. As per the mythology, Lord Shiva cursed Brahma not to have his own temple. It looks like Shiva's curse lost its effectiveness in Thailand.

Thailand and Bangkok

Thailand officially called the Kingdom of Thailand, is a small South East Asian country located near Myanmar and Cambodia. It was formerly known as Siam.

Though Thailand is officially a constitutional monarchy, whereby the prime minister is the head of Government, and a hereditary monarch is the head of state, it is actually under the control of a military junta.

Thailand has been heavily influenced by the culture of India for several centuries. It is evident from the Indianised names of the kingdoms, cities, and even the Kings. Ramayana, the epic from India, is very popular in Thailand.

Bangkok, known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon in the Thai language, is Thailand's most populous and capital city. It is famous for its vibrant street life, ornate temples, massage parlors and shopping.

Erawan Shrine

Near the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, the temple of Lord Brahma is located. Famously called the Erawan shrine, its original name was Thao Maha Phrom Shrine. Phrom is the Thai name for Brahma. The cult of Brahma's worship has spread in Thailand, China, and a few other South Asian countries in the last few decades.

It is an open-air roadside shrine without any proper temple structure. The shrine houses Lord Brahma, who is seen with four heads and six arms. He holds a staff, holy book (Ved), aksha mala (thread), kamandalu (pot), staff, conch, and discus in his arms. The idol is cast in plaster of Paris and gilded with gold.

Indra has a white elephant called Iravat. In Thailand, not only Indra, but even Brahma has Iravat as his vaahan (vehicle). And, Iravat is known as Erawan in Thai. As Brahma has the three-headed white elephant as his vaahan, he is also referred to as Erawan, and thus the temple is called Erawan Shrine.

Hundreds of incense sticks are found around the shrine. Many elephant wooden statues in different sizes offered by the devotees are also seen nearby.

Thai dancers are found on a pavilion, perform a short dance and pray to Lord Brahma when paid by the devotees.

History

In the 1950s, when Thailand was selected to host a grand international conference, the Government quickly constructed a star hotel to host the delegates. Something kept going wrong, and the project was getting delayed at every stage. At one point, the construction workers even refused to work, believing that the guardian deities had to be appeased. The eminent astrologer suggested building a shrine for Brahma on this site. Accordingly, this shrine was built and inaugurated on 9th November 1956. In 2006, the idol was vandalized. A new icon was enshrined in May 2006. The bomb exploded near the shrine in August 2015. It damaged the icon, but it got repaired quickly within two days.

The Erawan shrine became a famous temple and tourist spot. Thousands of tourists and devotees visit this shrine every day. Later, the Bangkok people started believing that having a small shrine for Brahma on their site gave them prosperity. Hence, most major commercial buildings have Brahma's shrines in their complex. Thus, Bangkok city is full of Brahma's temples.

Happy travelling.