 Erawan Shrine, Bangkok
The Erawan Shrine is a Hindu shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. It was built to house the statue of the Hindu deity Brahma, which is known in Thai as San Phra Phrom as well as its official name, Thao Maha Brahma. In English however, its name Erawan Shrine refers to the hotel that built it. Erawan is the Thai name for the mythological elephant Airavata, the vehicle for the Hindu deity Indra, and is often depicted as a three-headed elephant. Statues of Erawan grace the entrance to the Grand Hyatt Erawan, which is right behind the shrine.
The Erawan Shrine is located at the busy intersection between Ratchadamri Road and Ploenchit Road, in the Ratchaprasong shopping district of downtown Bangkok. Today it is a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, and attracts sightseers because of the presence of traditional Thai dancers who can be hired by worshippers in thanksgiving for answered prayers.
The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956, during the construction of the government-owned Erawan Hotel. The construction had be plagued with all sorts of misfortune including ballooning costs, accidents and loss of shipments. Thai Rear Admiral Luang Suwichanphaet, a noted astrologer, determined that the moment for the laying of the hotel foundation stone was inauspicous. To correct it, a shrine to the deity Brahma and a spirit house have to be built within the ground of the hotel. From then on, the construction of the hotel progressed without further hiccups.
The original statue of Brahma was made of plaster covered in gold leaf. It was the design of Chit Phimkowit, a sculptor from the Fine Arts Department. It was installed on 9 November, 1956, after which, a celebration was held at the shrine every year on that date.
In the early morning of 21 March, 2006, a demented man identified as Thanakorn Pakdeepol, 27, smashed the original Brahma statue to pieces. He was promptly attacked by angry bystanders, who beat him to death in the process. Two street sweepers were arrested for the murder. For a while, a piece of white cloth was used to conceal the absence of the broken statue. A new copy was created from a mixture of gold, bronze, other precious metals and pieces of the original statue, and placed at the shrine on 21 May 2006, at precisely 11:39 am, a time determined as auspicious for the sun was shining down directly over the shrine. Another replica, wholly of metal, was also made, and kept at the National Museum.
Getting there
The Erawan Shrine is at the heart of Bangkok's shopping district. The Ratchadamri (S1) BTS Station on the Silom Line is the closest to Erawan Shrine. The Sukhumvit Line and Silom Line of the BTS Skytrains split ways in front of it. An elevated walkway above Rama I Road connects the Chit Lom (E1) and the Siam (Central) BTS Stations. The Chit Lom station on the Sukhumvit Line is the nearer one. You can also reach it by boat from Khlong Saen Saeb. Pratunam Pier is 10 minutes walk away on Ratchadamri Road.
Nearest BTS Skytrain: Ratchadamri (S1) Silom Line, and Chit Lom (E1) Sukhumvit Line.
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Statue of Brahma at Erawan Shrine (4 September 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Dancers of the Erawan Shrine (4 September 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Location Map of Erawan Shrine in Bangkok
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