Devasathan

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Devasathan seen from the Great Swing

Devasathan ("residence of the Devas "; Thai เทวสถาน โบสถ์ พราหมณ์ , RTGS Thewasathan Bot Phram , pronunciation: [tʰeʰwásàtʰǎːn bòːt pʰraːm] ) is a small, inconspicuous Brahmin temple district in Bangkok , the capital of Thailand .

location

Devasathan is located in the heart of the old town of Bangkok on Thanon Dinso (Thai: ถนน ดินสอ - "Pencil Street") in the Phra Nakhon district . Immediately to the east is a landmark of Bangkok, the " Big Swing " (Thai: เสา ชิงช้า - Sao Ching Cha ). Opposite in the northeast is the seat of the city administration of Bangkok, in the southeast one of the largest temples in Bangkok, the Wat Suthat .

In the 1930s there was only a Brahmin temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat and also in Phattalung .

history

Devasathan was built during the reign of King Rama I (Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok) along with the Great Swing in 1784. Brahmanic ceremonies were held here aimed at the safety and fertility of the land.

construction

The temple ground, surrounded by a wall, consists of three rectangular, one-story brick buildings that are aligned parallel to each other in an east-west direction. Each of the three whitewashed buildings is dedicated to a different Hindu deity:

  • Phra Itsuan (Thai: สถาน พระ อิศวร , also: Phra Siwa สถาน พระ ศิวะ ) - Shiva . A large bronze statue of the blessing Shiva and two medium-sized statues of the dancing Shiva stand under a white canopy. They are flanked by two statues of Uma , Shiva's wife. Numerous smaller statues of other deities stand below them to the right and left. In front of the altar are two wooden images of Shiva's mount, the bull Nandi . In the middle of the building there are two tall posts on which a swing is attached on special occasions.
  • Phra Phikhanesuan (Thai: สถาน พระ พิฆเนศวร ), or Phra Khanet ( สถาน พระ คเณศ ) - Ganesha , contains five statues of the seated Ganesha, made of granite, sandstone, bronze and two made of green stone.
  • Phra Narai (Thai: สถาน พระ นารายณ์ ), or Phra Witsanu ( สถาน พระ วิษณุ ) - Vishnu , contains a large bronze statue of Vishnu along with plaster statues of Lakshmi and Savari.

The three shrines are surrounded by a small, well-tended green area with many, sometimes rare, scented and flowering trees.

Directly at the entrance there is a statue of Brahma in a lotus pond under a simple pavilion in typical Thai style, which is covered with a mosaic of colorful mirrors. This statue is similar to the statue of the Erawan Shrine . Other small statues of various Hindu deities are set up in the green area. All statues are adorned daily with wreaths of golden yellow flowers.

literature

  • HG Quadritch Wales: Siamese State Ceremonies . London 1931, Reprint by Curzon Press, Richmond 1992, ISBN 0-7007-0269-5
  • เดิน ถนน ชม ย่าน เก่า , from the series: " คู่มือ walking tour เมือง บางกอก " (for example: manual for walking through old Bangkok ). Sarakadee Press, Bangkok 2546, ISBN 974-484-050-1

Individual evidence

  1. ^ HG Quaritch Wales: Siamese State Ceremonies , p. 57

Web links

Coordinates: 13 ° 45 ′ 8.1 ″  N , 100 ° 30 ′ 2.1 ″  E