Erawan Shrine – December 5, 2010

Erarwan Shrine is one of the busiest shrines in Bangkok. Its location certainly helps - it’s at the center of the Ratchaprasong commercial district in Bangkok, where two major roads come together, the two Skytrain lines intersect, and immediately in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.

The story goes that, when the original hotel was being built, there were a number of accidents and delays and the developers were advised to build a shrine to garner divine support. After they built the shrine, the rest of the development went off without a hitch, so the shrine became a popular spot, particularly for people praying for commercial success.

I went today and it certainly is popular, even if many of the devotees are carrying shopping bags from the surrounding high-end malls.

From what I could tell, the process seems to be:

First, you buy flowers, joss sticks, and candles from the vendor in the corner.

You light the joss sticks and candles, shake them several times, and then raise them to your forehead.

After a few silent prayers, you plant the sticks and candles in a container filled with sand.

People also place the flowers on the altar.

Once you’re done, there is a small tub of water in the far corner. People rinse their hands there and also sprinkle some of the water on their heads.


To make a more significant offering, you can also pay to have dancers do a traditional dance. It’s all very organized, with the rates spelled out according to the duration of the dance and the number of dancers.

Or, you can choose to buy some sparrows in small cages and then set them free. For Thais, setting animals free is seen as an act of kindness and a way of honoring the gods.

Because it’s all pretty quick – in and out in less than five minutes – there is a fair amount of “recycling” going on. Attendants - in pith helmets, no less - constantly circle the shrine, plucking out the burning candles and joss sticks, and picking up the flower garlands.

They cart these back over to the vendor, where they are sold again. Given that we’re at the center of the shopping district, there’s a certain appropriateness to keeping the shelves stocked and the customers buying.