The Erawan Shrine is remarkable for a number of reasons. One of the city’s most visited shrines, it is based at a seemingly inconspicuous traffic intersection and dedicated to the four-faced Hindu God Tao Mahaprom in a country with a majority Buddhist population.
To understand its popularity and influence, you have to delve into the history of its creation: in 1956, the local government gave permission for the large Erawan hotel to be built on this site. Construction was plagued by a series of greater and lesser disasters, including the death of some of the workers involved in the project. Work ground to a halt as the employees demanded that something be done to appease the malevolent spirits.
After consulting with a local astrologer, a shrine to the four-headed deity who is known for kindness, mercy, sympathy and impartiality was constructed. The work continued with no further disturbances and the glittering shrine has been a site of pilgrimage for locals ever since.
As an indication of how important it is to respect this shrine, a vandal who attacked the shrine with a hammer in 2006 was chased down and beaten to death by enraged worshippers. A new statue was commissioned and positioned in the place of the original soon after.
Generosity and small acts of kindness are important here: disabled people sell lottery tickets for a small donation or you could pay to free a caged bird. For good luck, many choose to make a donation to the troupe of local dancers who entertain Tao Mahaprom with classical Thai music and dance.
The shrine is open between 6:30 am and 10 pm for you to pay your respects. It is easy to find once you know what you’re looking for: located next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, just ask a taxi driver to drop you at the Ratchaprasong Intersection or get the Skytrain to Chitlom station and walk. As you make your way towards it, the shrine is clearly distinguishable by the crowds singing, dancing, burning incense and bringing offerings of flowers and miniature elephants.
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