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| Gold Statue of Ganesha |
Huaikhwang
is a popular Thai area in Bangkok. It is always very animated at
night because there are many huge nightclubs or massage parlors in
the area. But also because there is a big night market there. At the
corner of Rachadaphisek and Pracharat Bamphen Road, near exit 2 of
the MRT station, there is one of the most famous shrines in Bangkok
with the Erawan Shrine on
Sukhumvit, near Siam Square. Ganesha
Shrine is
always busy. Night or day and perhaps even busier at night when
people have more free time to come.
Now,
Ganesha
is the Elephant god of the Hindu pantheon. In fact, it is one of the
5 prime Hindu deities with Brahma,
Vishnu,
Shiva
& Durga.
Note the odd number five. In the Hindu mythology, Ganesha
is the son of Shiva
& Parvati.
Although Thais are Buddhist, Ganesha
is highly respected in this part of the world. It shows that Hinduism
& Buddhism are intertwined. It also reveals the historical legacy
of India in southeast Asia, from Indonesia to Laos.
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| Student praying |
Ganesha
has
many attributes.Because
of his intellect and wisdom, it has become the patron of arts and
sciences. He is the Lord of success and the destroyer of all evils
and obstacles. Being the patron of letters and learning, he is also
the god of education. This is why students come to pray here before
their examinations.
Ganesha
is often associated with a mouse, the lowest of creatures, therefore
showing he is humble. He is standing with an elephant head and with
four arms. This time, note the even number 4. He has a curved tusk
and two big fan-like ears. He is always represented with a huge
pot-bellied as he is also the god of wealth and the personification
of material universe. The same principle is applied to the Chinese
Buddhas. But Ganesha
remains the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride.
Looking closely at
the statue reveals the symbolic objects he is associated with. No
less than 11!
- His head represents the 'Atman' or the soul turned towards the sky.
- His body reveals his 'Maya', the earthly existence of human beings.
- His elephant head signifies his wisdom.
- His trunk contains the 'Om' the sound symbol of cosmic reality.
- His upper right hand holds a goad to lead mankind and remove obstacles.
- In his left hand, he has a noose in order to capture oncoming difficulties.
- The pen-like tool in his lower right hand is his broken tusk revealing his sacrifice to write the 'Mahabharata' according to the mythology.
- He holds a rosary in his lower left hand, showing his continuous pursuit of knowledge.
- He also holds a 'laddoo' (a sweet) in his trunk, as a symbol to discover the sweetness of the 'Atman'.
- His large ears tell that he will be a keen listener of any petition.
- Finally, he has a snake around his waist to show energy in all forms.
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| Temple scene |
The
Huaikhwang Ganesha Shrine is always well attended. Perhaps Ganesha
accounts
to the fact that elephants are so widely respected in Thailand as
well as in the neighboring countries of Myanmar, Laos & Cambodia.
It is a gold statue like in most Thai temples. Yellow, and thus gold
are both a Royal & Divine color in Buddhism.
The Thai are very
superstitious. This is why, all around the shrine, there are a few
established fortune-tellers, who seem to benefit from the aura
Ganesha brings to their business, totally in keeping with the
attributes of the Elephant God. For 500 B, you may have your fortune
be revealed in the next twenty minutes!
Christian Sorand
→ Links:
- Ganesha, Lord of Success: http://hinduism.about.com/od/lordganesha/a/ganesha.htm
- Ganesha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
- Huaikhwang Ganesha temple: http://www.thaibis.com/bangkok/attractions/ganesha-shrine
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