4-Faced Lord Brahma @ Erawan Shrine
Nov 30th, 2009 by Steven
The Erawan Shrine is one of Bangkok’s most revered spots and a must-see tourist destination. It was originally built in 1956 on the site of the Erawan Hotel, which was plagued with a series of mishaps and other problems. The shrine - which houses the 4-faced Hindu god Lord Brahma (Than Tao Mahaprom) who’s known for his kindness, mercy, sympathy and impartiality - was erected to counter bad karma and appease evil forces. The original hotel was demolished in 1987 to make way for the present Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.
On 21 March 2006, the statue was vandalized by a supposed mentally-ill Thai man. Two months later, on 21 November, a new statue was enshrined at 11.39am with the midday sun shining directly above the shrine.
The Erawan Shrine at the Grand Hyatt Erawan. In the background is the elevated walkway to the Skytrain’s Chit Lom station.
Devotees lighting joss-sticks
Note the coconut drinks offered to Lord Brahma by devotees
In the evening, there are classical dance performances …
… usually, devotees whose prayers have been answered will ‘hire’ the troupe to perform for Lord Brahma
<Photos taken with Canon EOS 50D>