View of the shrine from the skytrain

The four-faced Brahma (Phra Phrom) statue

Flowers and incense around the shrine

Thai dance performed for Brahma

The statue after restoration

The Erawan Shrine (Thai: ศาลพระพรหม, read San Phra Phrom) is a Hindu/Buddhist shrine in Bangkok, Thailand that houses a statue of four-faced Brahma Sahampati. A popular tourist attraction, it often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers at the shrine answered. On March 21, 2006, a mentally disturbed individual vandalised the shrine and was subsequently killed by bystanders. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 322 KB) Erawan shrine in Bangkok, Thailand; view from entrance to the SkyTrain station. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x683, 322 KB) Erawan shrine in Bangkok, Thailand; view from entrance to the SkyTrain station. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (736x907, 252 KB) Summary Four-faces Brahma statue Pra Prom in the Erawan Shrine, Bangkok, Thailand. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (736x907, 252 KB) Summary Four-faces Brahma statue Pra Prom in the Erawan Shrine, Bangkok, Thailand. ... The Legend of Phra Phrom / Phra Phom Si na / 4 faced deva / 4 faced buddha For more than 5000 years, the disciples of Brahmana were known to have paid homage to Phra Phom as their highest esteemed God in their religion. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1900x2464, 294 KB) Erawan shrine, Bangkok. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1900x2464, 294 KB) Erawan shrine, Bangkok. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1076x1432, 582 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Erawan Shrine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1076x1432, 582 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Erawan Shrine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1816x2412, 1775 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Erawan Shrine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1816x2412, 1775 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Erawan Shrine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Hinduism (Sanskrit - Sanātana (eternal) Dharma also known as Vaidika (Vedic) Dharma) is a religion or philosophy that originated from the Indian subcontinent and nearby surrounding areas. ... Buddhism (also known as Buddha Dharma, meaning approximately Law of the Awakening) is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who lived in ancient India most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... The Bangkok Skytrain at sunset on Thanon Narathiwat Ratcha Nakharin with Empire Tower at the back. ... A Brahmā in Buddhism is the generic name for a type of exalted, passionless deity (deva), of which there are a very large number in Buddhist cosmology. ... Thai dance is the main dramatic art form of Thailand. ...

Location

The shrine is located by the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, at the intersection of Ratchadamri Road and Ratchaprasong Road in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand, at 13°44′39″N, 100°32′27.5″E. The Grand Hyatt Erawan is Thailands first and oldest five star hotel. ... Pathum Wan or Pathumwan (Thai ปทุมวัน) is one of the 50 districts (Khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. ... The Bangkok Skytrain at sunset on Thanon Narathiwat Ratcha Nakharin with Empire Tower at the back. ...

History

The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956 as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel to correct bad omens believed to be caused by laying foundation on the wrong date. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Construction of the hotel was delayed by a series of mishaps, including cost overruns, injured laborers and the loss of a shipload of Italian marble destined for the building. In addition, the Ratchaprasong Intersection had been used in years past to put criminals on display.

An astrologer was brought in to provide solution to the bad luck, hence the shrine. The Brahma statue was designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts and enshrined on 9 November 1956. An astrologer, in modern times, is a person who practices a form or forms of astrology; in earlier times, they were observer of the stars. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ...

The hotel construction then proceeded without problem. In 1987, the hotel was demolished and rebuilt to become Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Grand Hyatt Erawan is Thailands first and oldest five star hotel. ...

Shrine vandalised

In the early hours of 21 March 2006, the Brahma statue was vandalised by a Thai man who was believed to be mentally ill. After smashing the statue, the man, identified as Thanakorn Pakdeepol, 27, was beaten to death by angry bystanders. Two street sweepers who worked for the Pathum Wan district office were arrested for the beating. March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pathum Wan or Pathumwan (Thai ปทุมวัน) is one of the 50 districts (Khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. ...

Witnesses said the man stood on the base of the statue, holding a large hammer in his hands, and smashed the deity's plaster statue to pieces. The deity's four-faced head, torso, six arms and weapons were fragmented. Only the part of lap and base of the statue were left intact. The incident occurred at about 1 am. // Gypsum plaster Plaster of Paris, or simply plaster, is a type of building material based on calcium sulfate hemihydrate, nominally (CaSO₄)₂*H₂O. It is created by heating gypsum to about 150 ℃, 2(CaSO₄ · 2H₂O) → (CaSO₄)₂ · H₂O + 3 H₂O (released as steam). ...

White cloth was put up to hide the statue. The shrine was closed to the public for time, but officials later reopened the site, displaying photographs of the statue so that worshippers could continue to pay their respects.

The new Brahma statue was completed and placed in the shrine on 21 May 2006 at 11:39 a.m., the time the sun shined directly above the shrine. According to officials with the Religious Affairs Department and the Maha Brahma Foundation, it was made of plaster, mixed with a mixture of gold, bronze and other precious metals, along with pieces of the old statue. Another statue made from the same mold but is wholly metal would be placed in National Museum.

Motives examined

During an autopsy of Thanakorn, doctors found Arabic characters tattooed on his back and arms, prompting police to investigate whether the attack had a religious motive and whether Thanakorn or his family had any ties to Muslim extremists.

However, the slain vandal's father, Sayant Pakdeepol, said his son had received treatment for psychiatric problems in recent years and that the mental illness was the cause for the attack.

Sayant called the beating death of his son an "overreaction".

"Doing things like this is not an act of people with good belief, of those with real faith in Brahma," Sayant was quoted as saying by The Nation. "Murder is an immoral act and people with morality would not have done what they did." External Links: MangoDaily. ...

Political controversy

In the days following the incident at Erawan Shrine, embattled Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited and paid his respects to the broken statue of the deity. The following is a list of Prime Ministers of Thailand: Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, (1932-1933) General Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena, (1933-1938) Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, (1938-1944) Major Khuang Abhaiwongse, (1944-1945) Tawee Boonyaket, (1945) Seni Pramoj, (1945) Major Khuang Abhaiwongse, (1946) Luang Praditmanutham, (1946) Rear Admiral Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

At an anti-Thaksin rally on 22 March, government critic Sondhi Limthongkul charged that the destruction of the statue was a plot by a superstitious Thaksin who was seeking to maintain power through black magic. Sondhi Limthongkul (Thai: สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล) (Chinese: 林明達 Lin Ming Da) is a controversial Thai journalist and the owner of the Phujatkarn Daily (ผู้จัดการรายวัน), a local Thai newspaper. ... Black magic is the branch of magic that is used to perform evil acts or that draws on malevolent powers. ...

The vandal's father, Sayant Pakdeepo, dismissed that notion, quoted as saying in The Nation that Sondhi is "the biggest liar I have ever seen."

Thaksin, when asked to comment on Sondhi's accusations, simply replied: "That's insane."

See also

• Erawan

Erawan Museum, Bangkok Erawan (Thai: เอราวัณ) is the Thai name of the mythological elephant Airavata. ...

References

• "Breaking news", Thai Rath (Thai), March 21, 2006.
• "Much-revered Phra Prom statue destroyed", The Nation, March 21, 2006.
• Poo, Monthathip (March 22, 2006). "Man beaten to death after desecrating the Erawan Shrine", The Nation.
• McGirk, Jan (March 22, 2006) "Attack on Thai statue seen as bad omen for beleaguered Thaksin". The Independent.
• Wannabovorn, Sutin (March 22, 2006). "Police probing whether attacker of sacred shrine in Thailand was Muslim extremist", Associated Press (via San Diego Union-Tribune)
• "Vandal's dad distraught", The Nation, print edition, Page 4A (March 23, 2006).
• Atthakor, Ploenpote (March 24, 2006). "Broken image, shattered trust". Bangkok Post.
• Erawan Shrine statue restored, The Nation, May 22, 2006.

External Links: MangoDaily. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... Associated Press logo The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily newspaper published in San Diego, California by the Copley Press. ... External Links: MangoDaily. ... The Bangkok Post is one of three daily English-language newspapers published in Bangkok, Thailand. ... External Links: MangoDaily. ...

Further reading

• "A visit to the old Erawan Hotel", 2bangkok.com (September 3, 2005).

External links

• Bangkok Metropolitan Administration page
• Short video of Erawan Shrine Dancers from Sept 1998.