NIGHT VISITS TO HINDU GODS AT RAJAPRASONG SHOPPING DISTRICT IN BANGKOK. MOST THAIS ARE BUDDHISTS BUT MANY WORSHIP HINDU GODS AS ONE OF THAILAND'S MOST FAMOUS SHRINES IS DEDICATED TO THE 4-FACE BRAHMA, OFTEN CALLED 4-FACE BUDDHA!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
SO WHAT CAN A RELIGIOUS, PIOUS, MODEST, HUMBLE, GOD-FEARING PERSON PERSON LIKE DATO KEE HUA CHEE DO AFTER 9 PM WHEN ALL THE SHOPS AND MALLS CLOSE IN RAJAPRASONG, THE SHOPPING CENTRE OF BANGKOK?

THERE IS ALWAYS ASIATIQUE BUT THAT IS A LONG TAXI RIDE AWAY AND GOD FORBID I SHOULD VISIT PATPONG, NANA PLAZA AND SOI COWBOY, THE REDLIGHT DISTRICTS OF BANGKOK FAMED FOR PROSTITUTES AND BARS? BUDDHA, JESUS, KUANYIN AND VIRGIN MARY HAVE INSTRUCTED ME NEVER TO CONSORT WITH BAD WOMEN AND FOLLOW THE GODS' EXAMPLES. AFTER ALL, JESUS NEVER MARRIED AND BUDDHA ABANDONED HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE PALACE TO LEAD THE LIFE OF A WANDERING BEGGAR!

ANYWAY WHERE WAS I?

OH, IN RAJAPRASONG.

SO I DECIDED TO WORSHIP THE GODS IN THE VARIOUS SHRINES WHICH ARE ALL CONVENIENTLY LOCATED WITHIN MINUTES' WALK OF EACH OTHER!

I START WITH THE 2 NEWISH SHRINES IN FRONT OF CENTRAL WORLD PLAZA, ONE OF BANGKOK'S BIGGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL SHOPPING MALLS. THESE 2 SHRINES ARE LOCATED OPPOSITE ISETAN WHICH IS EASY TO FIND AS CENTRAL WORLD HAS 2 ANCHORS---ISETAN AND ZEN DEPARTMENT STORE

ONE SHRINE IS DEDICATED TO TRIMURTI AND THE OTHER TO GANESHA

TRIMURTI SHRINE

TRIMURTI SHRINE

NOTICE THE SEA OF RED ROSES

TRIMURTI IS THE AMALGAM OF BRAHMA THE CREATOR, VISHNU THE PRESERVER AND SHIVA THE DESTROYER

VERY SIMILAR TO CHRISTIANITY'S HOLY TRINITY OF GOD THE HOLY FATHER, JESUS THE SON AND HOLY GHOST!

BUT FOR SOME REASON

WHICH PROVES RELIGION IS ALWAYS EVOLVING...

TRIMURTI IN BANGKOK'S CENTRAL WORLD PLAZA...

IS WORSHIPPED AS THE GOD OF LOVE!

YOUNG PEOPLE COME HERE TO PRAY FOR ROMANCE, LOVE AND MATRIMONIAL SUCCESS!

WHICH EXPLAINS THE SEA OF RED ROSES!

TRIMURTI SHRINE IS FILLED WITH YOUNG THAIS

SEEKING LOVE AND MARITAL BLISS!

THE POOL IS FILLED WITH RED ROSES WHICH SYMBOLISE LOVE

RED ROSES ARE BROUGHT HERE BY DEVOTEES PRAYING FOR LOVE

THIS IS GANESHA SHRINE WHICH IS NEXT TO TRIMURTI SHRINE

GANESHA REMOVES OBSTACLES

I ALSO PRAY TO GANESHA THE ELEPHANT HEADED GOD

DATO KEE HUA CHEE IN FRONT OF GANESHA WHO HE WORSHIPS AS REMOVER OF OBSTACLES AND BRINGER OF PROSPERITY

YELLOW MARIGOLDS ARE THE FLOWERS SYNONYMOUS WITH GANESHA

THE ELEPHANT STATUES ARE ALSO GARLANDED WITH MARIGOLDS

THE WORLD FAMOUS ERAWAN SHRINE WITH STATUE OF 4-FACE BRAHMA SOMETIMES CALLED 4-FACE BUDDHA

ERAWAN IS THE 3-HEADED ELEPHANT AND VEHICLE OF INDRA

THIS WORLD FAMOUS SHRINE IS AT THE CORNER OF GRAND HYATT A 5-STAR HOTEL AND IN FRONT OF UPSCALE MALL SELLING EXPENSIVE CLOTHES

I PRAYED HERE TO WIN THE TAT SHOPPER'S CONTEST AND BRAHMA GRANTED MY WISH AND I WON 100,000 THAI BAHT!

PRAISE 4-FACE BRAHMA 4EVER!

I ALSO PRAY HERE TO 4-FACE BRAHMA TO LENGTHEN MY PARENTS' LIVES AND KEEP THEM HEALTHY AS I DON'T LIVE WITH THEM AND WILL REPAY THEM IN MY NEXT LIFE

I EVEN BEG 4-FACE BRAHMA TO CUT SHORT MY LIFE SPAN TO LENGTHEN THE LIVES OF MY PARENTS

I WILL REPAY EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED ME NOW IN MY NEXT LIFE

I ALWAYS WALK CLOCKWISE WHILE PRAYING

THIS SHRINE IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL IN THAILAND

AND IS LOCATED OPPOSITE GAYSORN PLAZA, A SUPER EXCLUSIVE, EXPENSIVE SHOPPING MALL AND HOME OF LOUIS VUITTON, PRADA, GUCCI, DIOR ETC

WORSHIP 4-FACE BRAHMA!

SUCH AN UNLIKELY LOCATION BUT THIS SITE IS SACRED!

EVEN A NEARBY RONALD MCDONALD PRAYS TO 4-FACE BRAHMA! AMAZING THAILAND!

NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH IS THERE A ROLAND MCDONALD FIGURE SHOWN PRAYING TO BUDDHA!

THIS IS THE GREEN INDRA SHRINE IN FRONT OF AMARIN, A MID-LEVEL SHOPPING MALL AND OPPOSITE INTERCONTINENTAL AND HOLIDAY INN HOTELS

AMARIN MALL IS 5 MINUTES' WALK FROM ERAWAN SHRINE

INDRA IS THE HINDU GOD OF RAIN, THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND GREAT WARRIOR, CONSTANTLY BATTLING EVIL TO THIS DAY

INDRA

INDRA IN FRONT OF AMARIN PLAZA

OPPOSITE INDRA IS NARAYANA STANDING ATOP GARUDA

NARAYANA IS IN FRONT OF INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL AND HOLIDAY INN

NARAYANA WAS ERECTED IN 1997 FOLLOWING A BAD PERIOD LED BY FAILING BUSINESSES AND BANKRUPTCIES

NOW ALL IS PROSPERING

NARAYANA IS TRANSLATED AS 'THE SUPREME BRING WHO IS FOUNDATION OF MANKIND' AND IS MANIFESTATION OF VISHNU

NARAYANA STANDS ON TOP OF GARUDA WHICH IS THE STEED OF VISHNU AND NARAYANA IS AN AVATAR OF VISHNU

PRAY TO NARAYANA! STAY AT INTERCONTINENTAL!

HOLIDAY INN IS NEXT TO NARAYANA

NARAYANA IN FRONT OF AMARIN PLAZA