The Erawan Shrine, formally the Thao Maha Phrom Shrine ศาลท้าวมหาพรหม 'shrine of Lord Maha Brahma', is a shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, which houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The name also refer to Mahabrahma, the ruler of the Brahma realm in Buddhist cosmology.
The shrine often features performances by Thai dance troupes who are hired by worshippers in return for seeing their prayers answered at the shrine.
Five other shrines dedicated to Hindu deities are located in the area as well: Phra Laksami (Lakshmi), Phra Trimurati (Trimurti), Phra Khanet (Ganesha), Phra In (Indra), and Phra Narai Song Suban (Narayana on his garuda).
The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956 as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel to eliminate the bad karma believed caused by laying the foundations on the wrong date.
The hotel's construction was delayed by a series of mishaps, including cost overruns, injuries to laborers, and the loss of ...
Prasat Ta Moan Group
The Prasat Ta Moan Group is a collection of temples located on the Cambodia-Thailand border. The main temple site is Prasat Ta Moan Thom, which is claimed by both countries and is the largest temple in the group. It is situated in Ban Nong Khanna, Tambon Tamiang, right along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Prasat Ta Moan Thom was built during the 11th to 13th centuries by Udayadityavarman II and Jayavarman VII. The temple features a central square-shaped prang (tower) with a prominent projecting porch at the front, constructed from laterite and sandstone. It is oriented to the south, unusual for Khmer temples which usually face east, possibly due to the topography of the area.
Other temples in the group include Prasat Ta Muen and Prasat Ta Muen Toch, which are located on the Thai side of the border. Prasat Ta Muen Toch is one of King Jayavarman VII's arogyasalas, or hospital chapels, and it contains a central tower that opens to the east and is topped with a sandstone lotus bud.
The ...
Prasat Muang Tam ปราสาทเมืองต่ำ meaning 'lowland castle'. It is a Khmer Hindu Temple in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province Thailand.
It is primarily in the Khleang and Baphuon styles, which dates its primary phases of construction to the late-10th and early-11th centuries. The primary deity was Shiva, although Vishnu was also worshipped there.
Muang Tam sits at the base of Phnom Rung hill, beside a kilometer-long reservoir (baray). It was built in the tenth or eleventh century and probably abandoned in the thirteenth century.
People only returned to the area in the early twentieth century, and the name "Muang Tam" dates from that time. Muang Tam means "Lower City", and is in reference to the 'higher' city on Phnom Rung. Nobody seems to know what the Khmer originally called the temple.
The site is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage site recognition A great day would be to combine it with a trio to Prasat Phanom Rung and a few other sites in...
Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in Yasothon
Every year the people from Southeastern Issan gather in Yasothon Province for one of the best festivals in Thailand. Going to Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in Yasothon is a once in a lifetime experience. To symbolically seed the clouds and bring on the rainy season, people launch dozens of huge rockets into the sky. One rocket can weigh over 100 kilograms and fly for over five minutes.
In addition to the rockets, there are parties, a parade, food, cultural performances, and competitions.
The festival takes place on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the second weekend each May. Every part of the festival takes place in the center of Yasothon city, or in a park on the outskirts.
Day one of Rocket Festival in Yasothon is a Friday. People gather in the afternoon at Phaya Thaen Public Park (สวนสาธารณะพญาแถน). Near the giant toad museum there is a cultural performance with students from different districts performing traditional ...
