Highly ornate shrine with a bizarre history. Fifty years ago the Thai Hotel and Tourist Company was trying to build a hotel on the site. Everything went wrong. After numerous delays it was decided to bring in a holy man to see if he could sort things out. He decided that they had picked the wrong date to lay the foundation stone and the only way to solve the problem was to erect a shrine dedicated to Brahma, the Hindu creation god, and Erawan, his three-headed elephant. It worked: the hotel, now the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, was completed without a hitch.
This is the place to come seeking good fortune and to pay homage for receiving it. And come they do. Many bring gifts of flowers, miniature wooden elephants, and candles. Plenty of incense is burned, so much that it overpowers the traffic fumes. Should you forget to bring a gift there are nearby stalls selling suitable presents. And you can also hire dancers attired in traditional Thai costumes or an orchestra. The whole thing is a great photo opportunity and a wonderful way to watch Thai dancing. This is very true Thai and a big plus is that it is free – provided you don’t pay for the piper or presents. Closest SkyTrain station is Chit Lom.
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