Devasathan

While it's true that Thailand is an officially Buddhist country, and that 95% of the population adheres to Buddhism, there is a very deep and very ancient Hindu influence running through the country and culture. It's much older than Buddhism, and it was here long before Buddhism arrived in Siam. Unlike neighboring Vietnam or Malaysia, Thailand's Buddhism is much more heavily influenced by Hinduism than it is Chinese Taoism.

This past week I took a walk in Little India, a part of town that I've only been to a few times before. Bangkok has a small but vibrant and well-established Thai-Indian population. There are a few Hindu temples in the city, many Hindu shrines (which are worshiped at by Hindus and Buddhists alike), and the second-largest Sikh Gurdwara outside of India.

a Hindu shrine (left) and the Sikh Gurdwara (right)

What few people know is that, while the Thai monarchy is an officially Buddhist institution, many of the royal court rituals are carried out not by Buddhist monks, but by a small caste of royal court brahmins, a gift from India to the Ayutthaya kings hundreds of years ago. The brahmins perform the annual Royal Ploughing Ceremony, as well as royal funerals, cremations, and coronations.

The brahmins are based out of a small and mostly unknown temple called the Devasathan, which means "The Abode of the Gods". This temple also houses the the Royal Brahmin Office of Thai Royal Court. It's the headquarters of Hinduism in Thailand, though the temple is mostly just known as the "Brahmin Temple".

The temple is small, almost hidden. Very few people were there when I visited. Despite its importance, it was quiet. I get the impression that even many Bangkok locals don't know much about this temple, or even that it exists! The temple consists of three shrine halls (photos were not allowed inside), each one dedicated to a specific Hindu deity.

Outside of the temple halls, a Phra Pom Shrine, dedicated to the creator god, Brahma, looks very much like the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok. The four-faced god looks out in each of the cardinal directions. In front of the shrine, devotees had placed garlands of saffron marigolds, and incense burned in a small brazier. In Hinduism, Brahma is the principal god, the creator of the world, and one of three gods in Hinduism's Holy Trinity (Hindu Triumvirate).

three shrine halls at the Devasathan

The three prayer halls were each dedicated to three important Hindu gods respectively:

Phra Narai Shrine - Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu Triumvirate. Vishnu is the preserver, the god in Hinduism who is responsible for the upkeep of the world and the balance between good and evil. 

Phra Isuan Shrine - Shiva is the third god in the Hindu Triumvirate. Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. He is known as "the destroyer", but not in a negative or sinister way. In Hinduism, life is a cycle, and Shiva is an important part of that cycle.

Phra Phikkhanesuan Shrine - Ganesha is one of the most popular Hindu gods. The elephant-headed god is known as the God of New Beginnings, Success and Wisdom and the Remover of Obstacles. He is also venerated in Thai Buddhism. Ganesha is the patron of art, academics, wisdom, luck, and fortune.