Erawan Shrine
A four-faced Brahma on the busiest corner in Bangkok, wreathed in marigolds and classical Thai dance.
Devotees lighting incense at the four-faced Brahma of the Erawan Shrine
What to expect at Erawan Shrine
The Erawan Shrine holds a gilded four-faced statue of the Hindu god Brahma (called Phra Phrom in Thai) at the corner of Ratchadamri and Phloen Chit — one of the busiest intersections in the city. It was built in 1956 to end a run of bad luck during the construction of the original Erawan Hotel next door, and the shrine's reputation for granting wishes spread across Asia so completely that today it draws pilgrims from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia as much as from Thailand itself. It is not a tourist attraction pretending to be a working shrine; it is a very active working shrine surrounded by shopping malls.
The ritual is simple. You buy a set of nine incense sticks, four candles and a small garland from the counter at the entrance for about $2, light them, and offer prayers at each of the Brahma's four faces in turn (representing kindness, mercy, sympathy and impartiality). Devotees whose wishes are granted return to commission a performance of classical Thai lakhon dance from a resident troupe of women in gold headdresses. There is almost always a performance going on, gong and xylophone drifting out into the traffic noise on Ratchadamri.
The shrine is right at the Chit Lom skywalk, sandwiched between CentralWorld, Gaysorn Village and the Grand Hyatt Erawan, so you can drop by any time you are shopping the Ratchaprasong district. Late evening is the atmospheric moment — the shrine is lit against the illuminated malls, and the crowds are thickest around 20:00. Photograph respectfully; the four faces do not like flash directly on them.
Questions about Erawan Shrine
Free. Offerings cost around $2 if you choose to make them.
Always free — the shrine is an open plaza on a public corner.
About 30 minutes to watch a dance and make offerings; longer during festivals.
Never — open 06:00 to 23:00 every day of the year.
No. Just show up. Commissioning a dance costs from $8 for a two-person set.
BTS Chit Lom, exit 8, connects directly via the elevated skywalk in two minutes.
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