Thailand: Hindu god shrines around Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Date: January 19, 2023

Yesterday I didn’t do much sightseeing and ended up shopping.

Puff pastry Meiji strawberry milk Bangkok — Since Retro39 does not offer a breakfast buffet option, I bought & kept some puff pastries in the fridge the night before to have in the morning

I stepped out after doing some work and got off at Chit Lom BTS station.

Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard Bangkok — That’s Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard building, which houses luxury condominiums and the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Praying at Erawan shrine Bangkok Thailand — At the corner, Erawan Shrine was busy as usual

Erawan Shrine is a famous spot which houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Brahma — the Hindu god of creation.

Erawan shrine offerings Brahma Bangkok Thailand — Daily there are offerings of coconuts, fruits, flowers, and money

Brahma Hindu god Erawan Shrine Bangkok — Brahma’s depiction in Thailand will slightly differ from how temples in India depict the god

Side note: Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura — an hours drive from Bangalore (India) — has carvings of Brahma from the 12th century.

As for why there are so many shrines for Hindu gods in Bangkok, it’s historical. Thailand used to be part of the Khmer empire, which was heavily influenced by Indian culture and Hinduism. See my Cambodia series and visits to Angkor Wat to know more about that.

Even though much of Thailand is now Buddhist, they follow Theravāda Buddhism, which traces its origins to India. The Thai language also contains many vocabulary words which come from Sanskrit. For example, the famous mid-April festival of Songkran, is derived from the Sanskrit word sankranti. So as Keralites like me celebrate Vishu with fire crackers, and usher in the ‘new year’ (as per the Hindu calendar), Thais celebrate Songkran by splashing water on each other.

Just 100 metres away from Erawan Shrine is Phra Indra Thao Amarintharathirat. Another shrine, but this one dedicated to the Hindu god Indra.

Indra shrine Bangkok Thailand — But unlike Erawan Shrine, there isn’t much space for worshipers to stand around

Indra shrine Gaysorn Bangkok — Lord Indra is the god of rain and storms

This Indra Shrine can be found in front of the Gaysorn Amarin shopping center.

Ganesha shrine Centralworld mall Bangkok — I then walked towards CentralWorld mall, which has a large shrine for the most popular Hindu god in Thailand

Hint: The national animal of Thailand is the elephant.

Ganesha statue Centralworld Bangkok Thailand — It’s Lord Ganesha of course

Ganesha Trimurti reasons to worship Thailand — As the Hindu god of beginnings, Thais worship Ganesha for success and good health

Lord Ganesha shrine Bangkok Thailand — But I’m sure it’s also largely because of how symbolic elephants are to Thailand

Which is why the ‘elephants pants’ you see every tourist to Thailand walk around in is so famous. Not to mention one of Thailand’s most famous beers is named Chang — the Thai word for elephant.

Trimurthi shrine Bangkok Thailand — This is the shrine for goddess Trimurti — but I think they mean Tridevi

And there still some more shrines honouring Hindu gods spread across Bangkok. I wanted to visit Sri Maha Mariamman Temple but it’s on the Silom side and I had other plans for today. Something to bucket list for another visit to Bangkok.

Here’s a brief video of all the above shrines I visited: