During the construction of the Erawan hotel in 1956 several deadly accidents happened and a vessel carrying material for the building sank. Rear admiral and astrologer Luang Suwicharnpat decided that the cornerstone was set on the wrong day and told the people to build up a Brahma shrine and a spirit house (I will write more about spirit houses in an upcoming post). After this the accidents stopped.
The hotel was pulled down in 1987, but the Erawan shrine became an attraction for everyone who desires love, money, enlightenment or professional advancement. The best time to propound one’s individual desire is between 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning and evening.
Today the shrine is located between elevated railways and city highways. Along with it come the noises of music, of thousands of conversations and vehiculars. But immediately around the statue nobody talks and there is a strange atmosphere of created silence which is permeated by the world surrounding it.
10. October 2017