h o m e

g l i m p s e s    x  v i

c o n t e n t s

A Glorious Hindu Legacy: Indic influence in Southeast Asia.

Hinduism in Thailand

The Spread of Indian Culture in South East Asia

The history of the expansion of Indian civilization to the east has not yet been told in its entirety. The relations between India proper and Farther India date back to prehistoric times. But the eastward expansion of Hindu civilization has not yet been fully traced. 

Recently an Ancient statue of Lord Vishnu has been found in Russian town of the Volga region. For more refer to chapter on Suvarnabhumi.

Map of Greater India.

The history of the expansion of Indian civilization to the east has not yet been told in its entirety. The relations between India proper and Farther India date back to prehistoric times. 

Many non-Indian scholars, especially modern writers of secondary works, tend to play down India's importance for obvious reasons, in the evolution of Southeast Asian civilization. 

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

Many non-Indian scholars, especially modern writers of secondary works, tend to play down India's importance in the evolution of Southeast Asian civilization. 

Some scholars (such as Mary Somers Heidhues of the Univ. of Hamburg in her book Southeast Asia – A Concise History on page 22 have downplayed India's cultural ties to South east Asia by claiming that Indians brought with them their "cultural baggage" to Southeast Asia. (Note:  Perhaps, Ms. Heidhues should also remember that the Puritans in America and the British rulers in India, also brought their cultural baggage with them).  

She then proceeds on page 64 to call Ramayana and Mahabharata as "epic folk tales". The Ramayana and Mahabharata have been a constant source of comfort, guidance, and entertainment to millions down the ages. Whereas the Homeric Epics have never been sacred books and have long since ceased to occupy a central position in Greek culture, the Indian Epics are the most widely read and respected religious books of the Hindus today. One wonders why Ms. Heidhues has labeled India's grand epics as "folk tales" ? Are the Iliad and Odyssey ever called "folk tales"? 

Others have tried to portray Buddhism as an improvement over Hinduism. (Note: It is as similar to portraying Christianity is an improvement over Judaism). However, Karma and Nirvana are both Hindu concepts and Pali was born out of Sanskrit, just like Italian came out of Latin.

Indianization must be understood essentially as the expansion of an organized culture that was founded upon the Indian conception of royalty, was characterized by Hinduism or Buddhism, by the Puranas, and the observance of the Dharmasastras, and expressed itself in the Sanskrit language. 

Hindu civilization spread to Siam in early times from about 2nd century A.D. 

The Hindus set up many colonies in Siam and the most important of them was Dvaravati which ruled from Cambodia to the Bay of Bengal up to the 10th century A.D. 

***

Ancient Thailand

The northeastern part of Thailand had come under the influence of the Hindu Kingdom of Funan at a very early period. Later, when northeastern Siam fell to the Khmers, its Indian character was further strengthened. The southern part of Siam, however, was most directly and continuously in contact with India. Large numbers of Indian merchants, settlers, and teachers came to southern Siam in successive waves either directly or from India or through Burma. Southern Siam is full of remains of Indian culture, most prominent of which is the city of Nakhon Srithammarat. 

Three sanctuaries - the Bot Prahm with numerous Shivalingas, the San Pra Isuon containing bronze statues of Shiva, Parvati and Ganesh, and the Na Pra Narai with its renowned statues of Vishnu - are amongst the excavations made at this site. According to the LIang Shu, there possibly existed in the region in the first 

Shiva Nataraja.

***

Hindu civilization spread to Siam in early times from about 2nd century A.D. The Hindus set up many colonies in Siam and the most important of them was Dvaravati which ruled from Cambodia to the Bay of Bengal up to the 10th century A.D. when it was overthrown by the Kaundinya kingdom. Numerous excavations have yielded extensive evidence of Indianization and some remarkable piece of art. Because Siam increasingly assimilated Indian art and culture into a local pattern, relics of pure Indian descent are more ancient than those reflecting local influences. One of the most remarkable sites in the center of Siam, is Srideb (Crip-teb), where statues of Hindu deities bearing Sanskrit inscriptions of the 5th and 6th century have been discovered. The art of Srideb is of excellent quality and provides a link between Indian art and the art of Southeast Asia. 

Dr. H G Quartich Wales ( ? ) considered Srideb the oldest known Hindu temple in Southeast Asia. 

The Khmer legacy in Thailand was considerable. Some Khmer sites, such as Sukhothai and Sri Satchanalai, was retained by the Siamese as foundations for their own cities and temples. The Siamese script was derived directly from the more complex Khmer system. 

Prasat Phom Rung

Phnom Rung: Lord Shiva's mountaintop abode.

***

This major temple, built manly in a high quality pinkish sandstone combines an impressive hill-top site that commands the surrounding plain, and an extraordinary amount of architectural decoration of the highest order. 

Phnom Rung was built atop an extinct volcano in a series of raised platforms to symbolize Shiva’s mountaintop abode. Located in isolated and spectacular splendor on an enormous overhanging cliff in the Dongek Mountains, this is without question the most magnificent site of any Khmer temple. It was laid out in a north-south axis with only one entrance, and most of the large monuments here were built as a microcosm of the Hindu universe, a magical recreation on Earth of the home of the gods and the surrounding seas and continents.  

The east gopura, preceded by a platform surrounded by nagas leads into the temple enclosure.

***

Eleven inscriptions have been found at Phnom rung. Prasat Phanom Rung is the province’s landmark archaeological site. It dates back to the seventh and eighth century. A Khmer lord was responsible for completing most of the present structure, which exemplifies the splendour of ancient Khmer arts, architecture and culture. Within the Prasat, is a throne hall built in the 12th century A.D. The beauty of the main prang of Phanom Rung lies not only in its plan, but in the vibrant stone carvings which cover large parts of the temple. Many lintels and pediments depict episodes from Indian texts such as the Ramayana, and the Puranas.  

Lord Vishnu on Ananta Nag, reclining over the mandapa entrance.

The lintel depicting one of the most famous Hindu creation stories at Phnom Rung was the subject of a celebrated dispute, having been stolen from the temple in the early 1960s. It then appeared at the Chicago Art Institute, on loan from a private collection.

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

“The ancient architecture is a sort of symbol, portraying the Sumeru Mount or Krairat Mount, or reflecting an ethical system. The ancient temple also represents an image of the universe. That’s why at the middle of the temple there is always a mountain-like structure, which represents the highest idealism in Buddhism or Hinduism. Only those who practice virtue at the highest level can reside at this high place,” he said.

“We should not intrude into the ancient sites, except for appreciating the value or the faith of the people who lived in the past.”

Isaan claims a rich legacy of splendid Khmer architecture. Among the best known are Phanom Rung, Preah Vihear, Phimai,  and Muang Tham.  

Built on top of an extinct volcano. 

***

According to Thaitourism.com, Prasat Phanom Rung is built of sandstone and laterite, 402 metres above sea level on the rim of an extinct volcano on the Buri Ram plain in southern Isaan. Lava is still scattered around the top. In former times the crater was a natural baray or reservoir. Most of the present structure was built by a local Khmer lord in the 12th century. The structure, however, overlies a series of earlier brick temples, which, judging from the earliest of eleven inscriptions found at Phanom Rung, date back to at least the 7th and 8th centuries.  

Thai Lord Ganesha.

***

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, but has many prominent images of Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesh, and Nandin. A long avenue leading up to a broad staircase and a terrace ends in five-headed naga (mythical snakes). A gateway opens onto the central courtyard containing the main sanctuary. The lintel over the eastern porch of the main sanctuary is comprised of two parts: the upper part depicts a 10-armed dancing Shiva and on the lower part, Vishnu floats on the ocean while sleeping on a snake.  
(source:

Wat Phra Narai Maharat on Prachak Road houses an image of Narayana (Lord Vishnu) made of sandstone. This statue is considered the major sacred object of the city. The City Pillar is also enshrined in this temple

Prang Sam Yot - This Hindu temple was built during the time that Thailand was under the Angkor, or Cambodian empire.

(image source: Andreas Hörstemeier - wikipedia.org).

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

Prang Sam Yot - This Hindu temple was built during the time that Thailand was under the Angkor, or Cambodian empire. The Thai kingdom of Sukhotai broke free of the Angkor Empire in the mid 1200's, and Lop Buri was soon absorbed into it. This temple was then rededicated as a Buddhist temple. Originally a Hindu shrine, the Prangs represent Brahma, Vishu, and Shiva (the Hindu trinity). It was later converted to a Buddhist shrine.

Prasat Narai Jaeng Waeng - 11th century during the reign of Udayadityavarman II. A small sandstone temple on a high laterite platform. The lintels and pediments are all interesting, and there is a fine Somasutra (Stone pipe or channel through which the lustral waters used to wash the image inside the sanctuary are drained, projecting outside the temple. Often terminates with a carved makara head of a serpent. Indicative of a Shaivite temple) still in situ- one of the very few throughout the remains of the Khmer empire. This is the most northerly Khmer sanctuary still in good condition. The name is both unusual and reflects the history of the region - Narai is the Thai name for Lord Vishnu, but jaeng waeng is old Khmer, meaning 'long legs'. The entire name presumably refers to the reclining Vishnu on the northern pediment. 

Prasat Muang Singh also known as Sri Jayasinhapur - City of the Victorious Lion.

(image source: Andreas Hörstemeier - wikipedia.org).

***

Prasat Muang Singh in Kanchanapuri - Late 12th century. The name Prasat Muang Singh means 'Sanctuary of the City of the Lion'. The inscription of the stele at Preah Khan at Angkor, still in situ, mentions Srijayasimhapur (City of the Victorious Lion) as one of the places to which Jayavarman VII had ent a Jayabuddhamahanatha statue. This ancient Khmer city is located about 45 km from Kanchanaburi, on the banks of the Kwai Noi River.

Vishnu stone statue 13th century from Muang Singh and Vishnu statue through door of santuary, Kanchanaburi.

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

***

Muang Singh's importance lies in its strategic location, on the route west to the Three Pagodas Pass that crosses into Burma. No doubt it was a garrison town to guard and protect this western limit of the Angkor Empire, but also it was probably a trading center.

(source: A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos - By Michael Freeman p. 168 - 195 and 238 - 240). (For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

For a documentary on Hindu temples, refer to The Lost Temples of India.

Top of Page

Hinduism in Thai Life

R C Majumdar (1888-1980) eminent Indian historian and author of The Classical Age, published an influential series of essays, in which he argued that Indian settlers in considerable numbers had established colonies in South-east Asia and that Indian dynasties had exercised political domination in the area. Thus he speaks of the spread of Hindu kingdoms and “the triumph of Hindu culture all over the vast region and in almost every phase of life.” 

P N Bose ( ? ) author of The Indian colonies of Siam, believed that there was evidence of actual Indian settlements in Thailand, and that from these came much of the later Indian influences on Thai society. 

Thailand (ancient name: Siam) is part of what Professor George Coedes has described as the Hinduized States of south-east Asia.  

The Buddhist missionaries who brought Buddhism to Thailand were themselves the products of Hindu order. The process of intermingling of Hindu traditions with Buddhism, which had started in India, continued in Thailand. Hindu elements were adopted to complete the religious life of the Thai. At the level of literature performing arts and mural painting, the Rama story has provided the major inspiration.  

The Khmer period gives more definite evidence of Hindu traditions in Thailand. During the Ayuthia period, contact with Hindu beliefs and practices was further intensified. This period is the most significant in respect to the absorption of Hindu elements into Thai religious life. That is evident from an inscription, dated AD 1361, during the reign of Boromaraja I of this period. The inscription prescribes as most essential on the part of the king to possess the knowledge of the Vedas and astronomy. This trend was greatly accelerated after the Thai conquest of Cambodia in AD 1431. 

The Thai derive their Hindu traditions mainly from the Brahmanas, the Dharmasutras, the Dharmasastras, the epic Ramayana and the Puranas, in short, those Hindu texts which deal primarily with ritual, ceremony, dharma, Hindu law, cosmogony and mythology. These scriptures together with the Brahmanas, the Hindu priests, whom Thailand inherited from the Khmers, provide the rites the ceremonies, the festivals and the sacred cosmogonical myths, and they thus consecrate, embellish and complete Thai religious, cultural, social and political life. 

Lord Vishnu: Murals at Wat Phra Keow (Grand Palace) in Thailand.

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

***

It is not surprising, the, to find that Hindu astronomy and mathematics give the Thai elite their knowledge of the movements of celestial bodies and their seasons according to the Hindu calendar.  Hindu cosmology helps them to evolve their concept of the sacred State or kingdom. Hindu epics primarily the Ramayana, depict for the Thai, the model of a righteous king, the Dharma raja, and also gives them an outlet for their literary and artistic expression. Sanskrit, the sacred and the classical language of the Hindus, contributes to Thai language, not only to philosophic, literary and aesthetic vocabulary, but it actually forms the very basis of Thai script. 

William J Gedney in his Indic Loanwords in Spoken Thai, has noted: 

“It is interesting to note that Indic loan-words are about as frequent in spoken Thai as are loan-words from Greek and Latin in modern English and these two situations seem to be precisely similar. Sanskrit plays the same cultural role in Thai that Latin plays in English. Pali has less importance in this respect, which is surprising, since Pali, not Sanskrit, is the sacred language of southern Buddhism, the religion of Siam.” 

The chief Hindu Gods forming the Thai roster are Phra Phrom (Sanskrit. Brahma), Phra Isuan (Sanskrit. Shiva), Phra Nara (Sanskrit. Narayana, another name for Vishnu), Phra In (Sanskrit. Indra), and Baruna (Sanskrit. Varuna). The Hindu deva are respected and are invoked at all initiatory rites, at curing and healing ceremonies and home festivals. The Thai invite Hindu deva (gods) to share the delicacies prepared for the festivals and in return to extend their protection.  

The other celestial denizens from Hindu mythology are also there. Among these Naga and Garuda hold an important place. The Thai associate Naga with the rainfall and describe him by the Hindu traditional epithet “The Guardian of the Aquatic World”. The Garuda as with the Hindus, is the vehicle (Sanskrit. Vahana) of Narayana and has become the national emblem of Thailand. 

The Hindu concepts of space and time have been personified by the Thai into indigenous deities. Traditionally, each of the four directional Phras (Sanskrit. Deva) guarded one of the four directions (as defined by Hindu cosmology). The Thai are also familiar with Hindu chemistry, which reduces all existence to the Four Elements – earth, water, air and fire. The Thai offers prayers to the first three. They refer to earth as Mae Thaurani (Sanskrit. Mata Dharati) and pray to her for good rice harvests. Water is invoked as Mae Khongkhaa (Sanskrit. Mata Ganga – Mother Ganges). She is invoked during the starting rites of the rice-cycle. The air, called Phra Phaaj (Sanskrit. Vayu) is associated with storms. The Thai also relate Hanuman with air. This belief is similar to the Hindu belief that Hanuman was the son of wind (Sanskrit. Pavan) God.  

Hindu Gods in Thailand

***

The Thai attitude towards the Hindu gods is clearly demonstrated in the following invocation to them to ward off the “Spirits which trouble the new-born”: 

“Hail to the gracious and auspicious powers: I prostrate myself. I will recite an invoation inviting all the great gods. I invite the great god Vishnu, the god Shiva of majestic power, who is the lord of Mount Krailasa (Sanskrit. Kailasa). I bow down and do homage to you. Also the goddess Uma, whose grace sustains the world. May you conquer diseases. I invite the god of the wind (Sanskrit. Vayu) and the god of fire (Sanskrit. Agni), the blazing god Kala (Time) and the god Brahma. Also Yama and the guardians of the four quarters, the god of the sun and the god of the moon. Also the Lord Indra who is the monarch …….I fold my hands in reverence and raise them over my head..” 

The Festivals 

The various social festivals in Thailand further illustrate the intermingling of the Hindu elements in the life of the Thai. The traditional new year, beginning with the spring, was introduced by Songran, the water Festival. It is followed by Triyambavay Tripavay, the Festival of the Swing: Rek Na, the Ploughing Ceremony; the Baruna Satra, the Rain Festival; the Bidhi Sarada, the Autumn Festival; and Loi Krathong, the Festivals of Lights. 

The Water Festival – The Songran (Sanskrit. Sankranta), or the water throwing festival, takes place in spring. The traditional celebration was the pouring of ample water to invite the god (Sanskrit. Indra) to descend to earth and bring rain.  

The Festival of the Swing – (Sanskrit. Triyambhava Tribhava) marks the arrival and stay of the god Shiva on earth, which supposed to have lasted for ten days. The King appoints a nobleman to play the role of Shiva. The Festival begins from a Buddhis wat. The God Shiva, who is believed to have arrived at that moment, is carried at the head of the procession. The procession moves with pomp and gaiety to the spot where the swing has been erected. The Thai swinging has considerably changed from the Hindu festival of the swing performed in the middle of March in honor of the God Krishna. The Hindu festival, was originally a solar ceremony. The Thai ceremony has retained this solar character, as the swinging is always performed from east to west. Shiva has replaced the original Surya, sun god, or the later Lord Krishna, as the focal point of the ceremony. 

The Ploughing Festival – In India, reference to this ceremony appears in the Satapatha Brahmana and the Valmiki Ramayana. In Thailand this ceremony is performed in month of May (Vaisakha) outside the city in the crown paddy field. The field to be ploughed is fenced off and made sacred through various rites performed by the Brahmins. On the day of the ploughing, the substitute is taken in a procession to the field. He offers light and incense sticks to the Hindu God images. The Brahmins offer him three ploughs. He chooses one, takes the gilded handle wrapped in red cloth by the Brah Maha Raj Guru (Sanskrit. Maha Rajaguru) and gets the pair of beautiful oxen to move. At this moment the Brahmins blow the conches and he ploughs three concentric circles. After the ploughing, the seed-rice is brought in four baskets of silver and gold. While the Brahmins chant mantras, the performer of the ceremony scatters the seed. At the same time holy water is offered to the Goddess of Earth. 

The Rain Festival – Prayers for rain are offered to Varuna. 

The Festival of Light – which seems Hindu in its underlying idea, is Loi-Krathong, the Festival of Lights. Loi Krathong seems to be a variation of the Hindu Diwali or Deepawali. The festival is held, both in Thailand and India in November. The homes are cleaned and decorated with palm leaves, and paper lamps. At dusk tiny rafts made of banana leaves are each given a lit candle and are made to float in the Menam river. The whole river appears “a stream of dancing lights,” as little rafts luminous with glowing candles, are being borne towards the sea. This sight on the Menam compares with the floating lights on the river Ganges in India on Deepwali night. 

(source: Hinduism in Thai Life - By Santosh N Desai  p. 1 - 40).

Lord Ganesha on his mount. Murals at Wat Phra Keow (Grand Palace) in Thailand.

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

Top of Page

Ramayana - A Timeless Tale

The Greatest influence on almost all of the arts of South east Asian region has been from India.  The "Ramayana" tells of good defeating evil. It offers inspiration and spiritual fulfillment .

This sacred Epic has been deeply etched in the collective psyche of all the countries of Southeast Asia.

In second place, but far behind, has been the cultural forms from China. Of all the Indian inspirations, the most important ones have been related to the Ramayana – an epic story of Prince Rama, his loving wife Sita, and their adventures following her abduction and rescue from a demon-king Ravana. Each episode of the story provides entertainment, but also instruction on the virtues: courage, honesty, morality, loyalty, duty and trustworthiness. The great theme is that of the triumph of good over evil. Another Indian masterpiece is the Mahabharata, which tells of heroic struggles among the ruling families of India.   

The Thai Ramakien: Literally means "Ram akhyan".. 

 In Southeast Asia, the story of Rama has become a traditional part of culture in Buddhist Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. In Malaysia and Indonesia.

Watch Video on Save Ramsetu

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

Watch video - Brahmins in India have become a minority

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

In India, where plays have been presented in almost every community for centuries, everyone knows the epics almost by heart. In Southeast Asia, the story of Rama has become a traditional part of culture in Buddhist Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. In Malaysia and Indonesia, this story had become popular long before the conversion of the people to Islam. It is kept alive, in slightly modified versions, in all countries of the region.

(source: Southeast Asia: Earliest Indianized Kingdoms – By M Ladd Thomas  p. 45 -  79 and 80 - 84).

Ramayana is well known to the Thai people as Ramakien, the name being derived from the Sanskrit term Ramakirti. According to their knowledge, it was written by Sri Valmiki more than 2000 years ago.  

The Ramayana or Ramakien has been appreciated by the Thai people for ages. In Ayudhya period it was regarded as the sacred story and is because of the story of Ramayan that the first King of Ayudhya was named Rama and its capital, Ayudhya. The Ramayana written by Ramayana scholars in Thailand is divided into 7 Kandhas or sections.  

The Ramayana story as found in Thailand, according to the great scholar of Thai literature, Phraya Anumanrajthon, did not come directly from India, but it came from Indonesia about 900 years ago. At that time on a lot of ruins are depicted the scenes from the Ramayana story. One of the most outstanding examples is found in the stone shrine “Prasat Hin Pimai” in the Pimai district, Nakhon Rathaseema Province, north-east of Bangkok. In King Ramkhamhang’s inscriptions was mentioned the cave of Rama and Sita. 

At a later time, when Taksin became King of Dhonburi, he wrote the Ramayana in Thai verses. They are of 2012 verses in four volumes: 

1. Phra Mangkuta practicing the art of bow.
2. Hanuman courting Nang Vanarin.
3. King Malivaraj ajdudiating the case.
4. Thosakan (Dasakantha) setting up the ceremony of making sand acid to be his weapon.

(source: The Ramayana Tradition in Asia - By V Raghavan. p. 245 - 255).

Ayuthaya has a great significance for Indians. The name Ayuthaya was derived from the original Sanskrit name Ayodhya. This city (Ayodhya) was the capital of the ancient Hindu Kingdom (around 1500 BC) of Rama, a great king and hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana. The ancient city still exists and is situated on the banks of the Sarayu River in the northern part of India.

Although Thailand is today predominantly Buddhist, there are traces of Hindu influence, visible mostly in the court ceremonials. Until recently, the court Rajguru Brahmins cast horoscopes, consulted omens, and performed worship of both Hindu and Buddhist deities. Ceremonies of coronation, tonsure, cremation, and lesser rites connected with agriculture were developed by the Brahmins. The Siamese call their coronation by its ancient Sanskrit designation, the Rajabhiseka. The entire complex of coronation ceremonies, such as homa (sacrifice of Fire), purificatory rites, ablutions, anointment, are closely modelled on Hindu rituals, and are presided over by the Brah Maha Raja Guru.  

The tonsure ceremony in Siam is a rite of initiation of youths, corresponding to the Hindu Cudakarma Mangala, which is very important Hindu Samskara. Cremation, an old Vedic rite, is the only means of disposal of the remains of deceased royalty in Siam. 

Even today, the Kings of Thailand bear the royal title is Rama, a Hindu avatar, and the story of Ramayana is depicted on the palace and temple walls of Bangkok. 

Watch Video on Save Ramsetu

Watch video - Brahmins in India have become a minority

***

Even today, the Kings of Thailand bear the Royal title is Rama, a Hindu avatar, and the story of Ramayana is depicted on the Royal Palace and temple walls of Bangkok.   

Hindu festivals such as Dashahara, commemorating the victory of Rama over the demon king Ravana, are still observed in Thailand. 

The Thais, like the Hindus, still believe in Vishnu or Naryana (Phra Narain), and Mahadeva or Siva, and dislike the asuras (asuns) as the enemies of the devas. 

Famous Indian works, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Shakuntala have formed the basis of some of the outstanding Siamese literature. 

The Ramayana, known in Siam as the Ramakien "Ram - Akhyan" where Akhya is a Sanskrit word meaning "rendition of the story of".  

Phendin-Klang Rama II (1809-24), was an outstanding poet, producing Thai translations of the Hindu Ramayana.

It is regarded as Siamese classic. Knowledge of this work is as essential for a cultured Siamese as Homer used to be for an European. The epic and Puranic literature of India constituted the principal source of inspiration not only for Siam but for the whole of Southeast Asia. It provided the themes for classical theatre, shadow theatre, and marionette shows. 

Indian influence is clearly seen on Siamese dance, drama, and music. Many of the themes of Siam's various dance-dramas (lakhon-ram) are drawn from Indian stories: for example, the story of Savitri and Satyavan. Many Thai musical instruments closely resemble those of India. The Siamese legal system is directly descended from the Manusmriti. The Hindu Dharmasastras, provided the framework for Siamese justice. 

Thai language too bears close affinity with Indian An indication of the close linguistic affiliation between India and Thailand can be found in common Thai words like Ratha Mantri, Vidhya, Samuthra, Prachinpuri, Karuna, Prannee etc. which are almost identical to their Indian counterparts. Thai language basically consists of monosyllabic words that are individually complete in meaning. His Majesty King Ramkhamhaeng the Great created the Thai alphabet in 1283. He modeled it on the ancient Indian alphabets of Sanskrit and Pai through the medium it on the ancient Indian alphabets of Sanskrit and Pali through the medium of the old Khmer characters.  

Angkorwat - miniature in Bangkok Palace, Thailand.

(source: webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a recent visit).

Watch video - Brahmins in India have become a minority

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

The tales of the Ramakien are similar to those of the Ramayana, though transferred to the topography and culture of Ayutthaya, where the avatar of Phra Narai (the Thai incarnation of Vishnu) is reborn as Phra Ram. 

The Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya, named after Rama’s capital of Ayodhya, was itself sacked and destroyed by invading armies from Myanmar in the 18^th century, resulting in the loss of literary works. When a new capital was established at Bangkok shortly after, one of the first tasks of King Rama I, who took on the name of the hero of the epic, was to have the lost Ramakian composed again. The episodes were rearranged, however, in a more linear time fashion. In addition, Tamil tradition probably played an important role in the royal literary effort, for the Thai epic has many features in common with southern Indian ideas, such as strong females (which also is an indigenous Thai trait), soul transfer, and characters magically transforming themselves into other beings. Many of the ogres have special powers or weapons, and they are defeated in unique ways with help from Vibhisana. Hanuman becomes as lover to many women and has several wives, thus completely going against the entire Indian tradition in which he remains celibate and unmarried. The brothers of Rama and even his sons battle against the surviving ogres and destroy them, thus repeating several motifs and greatly increasing the length of the epic.

(source: A Timeless Tale).

Thailand, Nepal honor legendary Indian King - Janak of Ancient Mithila

A legendary Indian king is being feted by Nepal and Thailand.

The two countries are coming together to pay a tribute to King Janak of ancient Mithila on the occasion of the 76th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand as well as the Thai National Day. The Nepalese translation of a magnum opus by the Thai king himself, "The Mahajanaka: The Story of King Janak of Ancient Mithila", will be distributed free in Nepal to symbolise the ties between Nepal and Thailand. The genesis of the royal book goes back to 1977 when King Bhumibol was listening to a sermon about King Janak from "Tripitaka", the sacred texts of Theravada Buddhism.

The Thai royal was especially impressed by a tale about King Janak's visit to the royal park in Mithila, believed to have been located in modern day Bihar in India. At the entrance of the park, the story went, stood a fruit-bearing mango tree and a barren one. While coming out of the park, the king saw that the mango tree with delicious fruits had been uprooted by his entourage. The parable taught the lesson that good things are endangered by greed.

King Janak is said to have been revered for his just ways as well as being the father of Sita, the consort of god Ram.

"The underlying themes of self-reliance, moderation and compassion in the story of King Janak struck a chord with the king's Thai subjects who were increasingly disenchanted with materialism in an era of instant gratification," wrote Sudhindra Sharma, a visiting scholar at The Institute of Asian Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

The Thai king's daughter, Princess Maha Chakkri Sirindhorn, a student of linguistics and Sanskrit, is said to be researching King Janak and Mithila.

(source: Thailand, Nepal honor legendary Indian King -  Newindpress.com - December 6 2003).

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

Top of Page

Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Bangkok

For generations, Hindu Gods and Goddesses have occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of many Thai Buddhists as well as foreign visitors, especially from other Asian countries. 

One unique place in Bangkok where you may observe or worship these deities is the Ratchaprasong intersection, where many of the city's upscale shopping and hotel complexes are situated. Last Wednesday was a special day at the extremely popular Brahma shrine in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Hundreds of Thais and foreign faithful flocked to the shrine to pay obeisance and pray for fulfilment of their desires. Apart from the Brahma shrine, set up in 1956, there are five other prominent shrines in the vicinity of Ratchaprasong intersection. 

San Phra Phrom or Erawan Shrine was created as a spirit house connected to the Erawan Hotel, which has now made way for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The forces of the typical Thai spirit house didn't seem effective enough during the building of the hotel, so spiritual persons advised that it should be replaced with the four-headed image of Brahma or Phra Phrom in Thai. There have been no further hitches since then, and the shrine has became famous for bringing good fortune. The name Erawan comes from Brahma's thirty-three headed elephant.

Thai-Buddhist tradition associates Brahma with creation. Brahma is believed to have ridden a three-headed elephant named Erawan, hence the connection with the Bangkok hotel, and the use of small elephants at both the Eastern shrine in Bangkok and the Western shrine in Las Vegas. The four faces of the Brahma statue represent the Four Divine States of Mind: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathy and Equanimity.

At Caesars Palace, the Brahma Shrine stands as a tribute to an ancient culture, and a wish for prosperity and good luck to all who visit the resort.

A  statue of the elephant god Ganesh sits in front of Isetan shopping centre, while the Trimurti, a form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, adorns the front of Zen department store. 

At the Intercontinental Hotel near Gaysorn Plaza, Narayana, another name for Lord Vishnu, is mounted on his celestial vehicle Garuda, while the plaza itself has the Statue of the Goddess Uma Parvati on its fourth floor. Opposite Gaysorn is the Amarin Plaza, where the rain god Lord Indra stands majestically. 

The property-owners view Hindu Gods and Goddesses as helpful for the prosperity of their businesses. For instance, the owners of the original Erawan Hotel decided to build a prominent shrine to the four-faced Brahma back in 1956 after several workers lost their lives in mysterious construction accidents. Essentially, the shrine was intended to ward off misfortune. Since its consecration, the shrine has become a model for similar ones nationwide.   

Kinnar: Celestial beings in Sanskrit. Thailand.

(For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

***

Besides property-owners, all these shrines of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are also immensely popular among local and foreign worshippers, especially the Chinese from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. 

Chen Siek Hui, an Indonesian-Chinese, said she had returned to Bangkok last week after a trip to Vietnam to offer prayers at the Erawan Brahma shrine and thank the deity for answering her prayer. "I prayed here last year when my business ran into trouble. I believed Brahma would give me the courage and strength to solve the problems. Now my business is running smoothly, so I came back to say thank you, and while I was here I asked for better health for my mother," she said. A relative of Hui, who accompanied her to Bangkok, said there were several Brahma shrines in Indonesia but Hui had great faith in the one at the Erawan Hotel. Besides Indonesian-Chinese, the Erawan Brahma shrine often sees worshippers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, including celebrities.

Among these is Taiwanese movie star Nicolas Tse, who said that his prayer had been answered after he visited the shrine.

(source: Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Bangkok -  Refer to Thailand Hinduism).

Top of Page

Hindu influence in Thai Culture

In the Buddhist Thai kingdom, the Hindus constitute about one-tenth of the population. However, various aspects of Hinduism are deeply entrenched in Thai society. Although it sometimes is difficult to distinguish the Hindu elements in Thai culture, Hinduism has survived in Thailand through the concepts of royalty, festivals, music, architecture, the pantheon of Hindu deities, language, and literature.

The Hindu dharmasastras (religious scriptures), the concept of kingship, and Hindu rituals have become essential features of state formation, and rulers have legitimized their position with the help of brahmans (priests, phrams in Thai). These priests perform various rituals connected with royalty.

In the Rajyabhiseka ceremony (consecration), they invoke the blessings of Hindu deities and present royal regalia to the king, and Thai ceremonies adhere to the tenets of the Satapatha Brahmana and Aitreya Brahmana. 

The steed of the Hindu God Lord Vishnu Garuda is the Royal symbol of Thailand.

The influence of Hinduism is also ingrained in popular Thai culture. Icons of Hindu gods and goddesses have been discovered in ancient excavations, and sculptures of such icons as Parvati, Hanumana, Ganesha, Vishnu, Indra, and Brahma adorn wats (temples) in Thailand. Images of Ganesha, the patron of Thai arts, are sometimes installed in newly constructed buildings. Hindu deities are worshipped along with Buddha and phis (spirits). Even to the present, the Thai congregate at the Erawan (Brahma’s elephant) shrine in Bangkok to invoke Brahma.

The Ramayana tradition is important in Thailand. In the process of adoption, the stories of Ramayana have been transformed into a Thai version known as the Ramakien. Performing arts forms like classical dance, masked plays, theater shows, and shadow plays have continuously used the themes of this classic. The Thai features in these works are so predominant that only the origin of the Ramakien remains as a nonindigenous element. 

The Subanahongsa or Golden hamsa (swan) of Lord Brahma. 

The Subanahongsa, or golden hamsa, passes the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Subanahongsa refers to the swan-like mythical steed of the Hindu god Brahma, which first appeared in Thai lore during the Ayutthaya period. King Rama I ordered the vessel built soon after his accession to the throne in 1782.

The Subanahongsa, or golden hamsa, passes the Grand Palace in Bangkok during a rehearsal for the upcoming ceremonies to mark Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th anniversary to throne. 

***

An admixture of Hindu and Buddhist elements exists in the popular festivals like Loh Chingecha (swing ceremony), Loi Krathong (festival of lights), Baruna Satra (rain festival), and Songkran (astrological New Year). The Brahmans also have a role in such family ceremonies as births, deaths, purifications, and weddings. The similarities of Thai beliefs in the existence of the other world with such Hindu concepts as savan (paradise) and narok (hell) and with the Hindu names for deities (devata), worship (pussa), and God (isuan) point toward the cultural interaction between Thailand and India. Thai society has shown a tremendous capacity to harmonize Hindu elements and yet retain its distinct identity.  

(source: Hinduism - Thailand). (For more refer to chapter on Greater India: Suvarnabhumi and Sacred Angkor).

Top of Page

The Thai King's Coronation  

The coronation ceremony in Thailand consists of the Rajabhiseka, (Hindu, the Rajasuya), the anointment. The ceremonial bath constitutes an important initiatory ritual. The Thai king uses water of five rivers in the kingdom, the Cau Brahya, the Sak, the Rajapuri, the Bejrapuri and the Paupahkhan. His counterpart in India uses the waters of the Ganga, Mahi, Yamuna, Sarayu and Airavati. 

Water is the most significant in the coronation ceremony of Thailand. The significance of water is fully discussed in the Hindu treatise, Aitareya Brahmana. The king invokes the waters for their blessing: 

“Look upon ye waters with favorable eye! Touch my skin with your happy body. I invoke all the fires which reside in the waters to bestow on me splendor, strength and vigor.” 

The officiating priest, Brahmin continues:

“With these waters which are most happy, which cure everything, increase the royal power, the immortal Prajapati sprinkled Indra, Soma, the King, Varuna, Yama, Manu, with the same sprinkle I thee! “ 

The Thai king then takes his seat on the Octagonal Throne beneath the seven-tiered white umbrella of State. He receives here further anointment. The throne in the Thai ceremony is made of Udumbara wood (figwood) as prescribed in the Hindu ritual:

“The reason that the throne-seat, the ladle, and the branch is of Udumbara tree is because the Udumbara is vigor and a nourishing substance. The priest thus places vigor in the king.” 

The Thai throne is spread with hya ga, the Indian darbha or durva grass. The Thai king, like the ancient Hindu king of India, always sits on the throne facing the east. 

(source: Hinduism in Thai Life - By Santosh N Desai  p. 1 - 40).

Top of Page

Ganga (Ganges water) jal for Thai King's anniversary celebrations 

Bangkok: Sacred river waters of India will be brought to Thailand next week on April 21 as part of national celebrations to mark the Thai King’s 60th anniversary on the throne in June. 

Water from the Ganges, Yamuna, Saraswati, Saryu and Gomati rivers will be brought by the Thai government’s Religious Affairs department and Hindu organisations in Thailand, said religious affairs department Director-General Preecha Kantiya.   

Monarchs from 28 countries will attend the special event on June 12 and 13 this year marking 60 years of the accession of King Bhumibol Adulyadej who is the world’s longest ruling monarch. A priest from the Thai royal household bureau will travel to India to collect the holy water from Indian priests, the official said.

Sacred Ganga

Watch video - Brahmins in India have become a minority

Watch Scientific verification of Vedic knowledge

***

The water will be taken to Devasthan, the Hindu temple in Bangkok from where it will be collected by the Hindu Samaj Association after religious ceremonies. The water will be taken to other Hindu temples in Bangkok where Buddhists also worship.   

“Thai and Indian priests will jointly conduct the rituals," said Preecha. The holy water will finally be presented to the King on May 5 which is the coronation day.  

Although Buddhism is the national religion, Thai culture and religious beliefs carry the imprint of significant elements of Hinduism.