Bangkok-Erawan Shrine

We got a list of the top 12 things to see/do in Bangkok and tried to get as many accomplished as possible. Number 7: Pray for Luck at Erawan Shrine


For over 50 years, Thais have been paying respect to the four-headed, multi-armed Brahman deity at the Erawan Shrine. "Erawan" is actually Brahma's three-headed elephant used for transportation. The shrine was erected in the 1950s as a solution to the endless delays and accidents plaguing the original Erawan Hotels' construction. Tree spirits were the cause and the Brahma shrine was built to accommodate them. Believers line up everyday at the Erawan Shrine to make offerings of colorful flower garlands, incense sticks and candles. Those who receive good fortune often commission/hire costumed dancers to perform to a live orchestra around the statue as a form of thanksgiving!

This was really cool! We got to the Shrine right before it was about to close for the evening. There were men gathering all the "offerings" and literally just throwing them all away. While some of the pictures look cloudy, it is really from all of the incense being burned! There was even a beverage bar near the Shrine where you could purchase drinks as offerings!

I hadn't realized while shooting the video that I would not be able to rotate the images. I hope you can still get an idea of the music and dance that are performed as a result of good fortune! You may notice a woman kneeling in the front, she is responsible for hiring the dancers. I wonder what her good fortune was!?!