11-23-2005, 03:42 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Thais Revere Hindu Gods</b>
The Nation
THAILAND, November 13, 2005: For generations, Hindu Gods and Goddesses have occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of many Thai Buddhists as well as foreign visitors, especially from other Asian countries. One unique place in Bangkok where you may observe or worship these deities is the Ratchaprasong intersection, where many of the city's upscale shopping and hotel complexes are situated. Last Wednesday was a special day at the extremely popular Brahma shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Hundreds of Thais and foreign faithful flocked to the shrine to pay obeisance and pray for fulfilment of their desires. Apart from the Brahma shrine, set up in 1956, there are five other prominent shrines in the vicinity of Ratchaprasong intersection.
A statue of the elephant god Ganesh sits in front of Isetan shopping centre, while the Trimurti, a form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, adorns the front of Zen department store. At the Interconti nental Hotel near Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana, another name for Vishnu, is mounted on his celestial vehicle Garuda, while the plaza itself has the Statue of the Goddess Uma Parvati on its fourth floor. Opposite Gaysorn is the Amarin Plaza, where the rain god Indra stands majestically.
The property-owners view Hindu Gods and Goddesses as helpful for the prosperity of their businesses.<b> For instance, the owners of the original Erawan Hotel decided to build a prominent shrine to the four-faced Brahma back in 1956 after several workers lost their lives in mysterious construction accidents. Essentially, the shrine was intended to ward off misfortune. Since its consecration, the shrine has become a model for similar ones nationwide.</b>
Besides property-owners, all these shrines of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are also immensely popular among local and foreign worshippers, especially the Chinese from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Chen Siek Hui, an Indonesian-Chinese, said she had returned to Bangkok last week after a trip to Vietnam to offer prayers at the Erawan Brahma shrine and thank the deity for answering her prayer. <b>"I prayed here last year when my business ran into trouble. I believed Brahma would give me the courage and strength to solve the problems. Now my business is running smoothly, so I came back to say thank you, and while I was here I asked for better health for my mother," </b>she said. A relative of Hui, who accompanied her to Bangkok, said there were several Brahma shrines in Indonesia but Hui had great faith in the one at the Erawan Hotel. Besides Indonesian-Chinese, the Erawan Brahma shrine often sees worshippers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, including celebrities. Among these is Taiwanese movie star Nicolas Tse, who said that his prayer had been answered after he visited the shrine.
HPI News<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The Nation
THAILAND, November 13, 2005: For generations, Hindu Gods and Goddesses have occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of many Thai Buddhists as well as foreign visitors, especially from other Asian countries. One unique place in Bangkok where you may observe or worship these deities is the Ratchaprasong intersection, where many of the city's upscale shopping and hotel complexes are situated. Last Wednesday was a special day at the extremely popular Brahma shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Hundreds of Thais and foreign faithful flocked to the shrine to pay obeisance and pray for fulfilment of their desires. Apart from the Brahma shrine, set up in 1956, there are five other prominent shrines in the vicinity of Ratchaprasong intersection.
A statue of the elephant god Ganesh sits in front of Isetan shopping centre, while the Trimurti, a form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, adorns the front of Zen department store. At the Interconti nental Hotel near Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana, another name for Vishnu, is mounted on his celestial vehicle Garuda, while the plaza itself has the Statue of the Goddess Uma Parvati on its fourth floor. Opposite Gaysorn is the Amarin Plaza, where the rain god Indra stands majestically.
The property-owners view Hindu Gods and Goddesses as helpful for the prosperity of their businesses.<b> For instance, the owners of the original Erawan Hotel decided to build a prominent shrine to the four-faced Brahma back in 1956 after several workers lost their lives in mysterious construction accidents. Essentially, the shrine was intended to ward off misfortune. Since its consecration, the shrine has become a model for similar ones nationwide.</b>
Besides property-owners, all these shrines of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are also immensely popular among local and foreign worshippers, especially the Chinese from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Chen Siek Hui, an Indonesian-Chinese, said she had returned to Bangkok last week after a trip to Vietnam to offer prayers at the Erawan Brahma shrine and thank the deity for answering her prayer. <b>"I prayed here last year when my business ran into trouble. I believed Brahma would give me the courage and strength to solve the problems. Now my business is running smoothly, so I came back to say thank you, and while I was here I asked for better health for my mother," </b>she said. A relative of Hui, who accompanied her to Bangkok, said there were several Brahma shrines in Indonesia but Hui had great faith in the one at the Erawan Hotel. Besides Indonesian-Chinese, the Erawan Brahma shrine often sees worshippers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, including celebrities. Among these is Taiwanese movie star Nicolas Tse, who said that his prayer had been answered after he visited the shrine.
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