With hundreds of wats around town and thousands of spirit houses seemingly at every turn, it’s more than obvious that Bangkok is a spiritual place. Another alternative if you’re in an ethereal or otherworldly mood are the various shrines situated throughout the city. Many of them are dedicated to specific themes and steeped in local legend. There are a lot of them around too, but first you have to know where to find them.
Probably the most famous shrine in town is the Hindu Erawan Shrine located by the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, at the intersection of Ratchadamri Road and Ratchaprasong Road. It is in the heart of a thriving shopping district and has an interesting history.It seems that its entire reason for its existence is rooted in black magic and superstitions. In 1956, the government was building the Erawan hotel, but the construction was delayed continually by accidents, injuries, cost overruns and even the loss of an entire shipload of Italian marble. An astrologer was brought in and it was determined that the site was plagued by bad omens, quite possibly because the foundations were laid on wrong date and because the Ratchaprasong Intersection had been used as a place to put violent criminals on display in the past.
It was determined that a shrine was needed to fix all this bad karma and thus, the Erawan Shrine was constructed with a four-faced Brahma statue (designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts) as its centerpiece.
Afterwards, the construction work proceeded without incident. In 1987, the hotel was demolished to make room for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, but the Shrine remained.
To this day, it remains a popular tourist attraction and a troupe of Thai dancers is on hand to perform for worshippers.
The dancers can also be hired (for a donation) to thank the Brahama for prayers and wishes that have come true.
Additionally, flower garlands, lotus, incense and candles can be purchased to offer up to the Brahma.
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