![]() This situation might be due to the fact that Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is considered as being the most sacred place for Indians and Thai Indians.Ī few Buddhist images make this temple a worthy visit for the Buddhist Thais too, which only underlines the religious tolerance one can find in the Kingdom of Thailand. I found it extremely annoying that it is prohibited to take photographs inside the temple grounds, but at the same time no postcards were available for sale with pictures of the main deities. Once inside the temple, make sure you remove your shoes before stepping over any of the lines that demarcate the shrines. The smell of incense sticks constantly burning pervades the air and the worshipers lost in prayer give the visitors an eerie feeling of piety. The intricate carvings on the exterior of the temple and its wall catch the eye of any passerby (the buss stop right in front of the entrance also helps at doing that). The crowded courtyard also contains a small shrine that houses the Shiva Lingam, a symbol associated by some to a phallus, though the association is disputed by most Hindus.īuilt in the Chola and Pallava architectural styles, specific to the temples of southern India, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is rich in colours and ornaments. Some of these statues were especially brought from India to be placed in the Bangkok temple. ![]() Inside the shrine, the worshipers can say prayers to one of her three incarnations Parvati, Durga and Kali, her statue being flanked by other Hindu deities, such as Ganesha, Kandakumara, Krishna, Vishnu, Rashmi and Kali. The exquisite shrine bears the name of Jao Mae Maha Umathewi. The reigning deity of the temple is Maha Mariamman (sometimes spelled in one word) also known as Uma Devi, the legendary Goddess of Death worshipped for her power to protect her believers against disease and death. ![]() ![]() Located in Bang Rak district, on the corner of Thanon Pan, opposite Silom Soi 20, it is one of the only two Hindu temples in Bangkok. On my way back home from Neilson Hays Library, I stopped nearby to visit the Hindu (Brahman) temple of the Shakti sect, Sri Maha Mariamman or Maha Uma Devi Temple (วัดพระศรีมหาอุมาเทวี). ![]()
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