The Pilgrimage Road
The Erawan Museum has set up a path for pilgrimage, for visitors who wish to worship all the holy beings both in Buddhism and in Bhraman-Hinduism. These are all the holy beings that Thais have been paying their respect to for centuries and the ones here in the Erawan Museum are as follows:
- 1. Phra Ket Chulamanee Chedi
- 2. Brahma Shrine
- 3. Vishnupong Elephant
- 4. Trimurti Shrine
- 5. Shivapong Elephant
- 6. Ganesh Shrine
- 7. Bodihisattva Avalokitesavara (Kuan-Yin)
- 8. Indra on Erawan Elephant
- 9. Bhramapong Elephant
- 10. The Cosmos Level
Phra Ket Chulamanee Chedi was built to represent Phra Ket Chulamanee, an angel on the heaven who has very long hair. Indra god has created this with 7 commands that were present in the Buddhism The-wat Sect. Phra Ket Chulamanee was built using the Indian style arts combine with the Thai Ayudhaya period arts. The other Buddha statues were places at the bottom of the Chedi, they are represented by birthday and shall bring joy to the worshippers of that birthday.
The Brahma Shrine was a special place to hold the Brahma Statue since Brahma is one of the most powerful gods in Hinduism. He is the god with 4 faces and 4 hands. The legend has it that he has a holy book, a beaded chain, a water kettle, and a spoon in each and. Brahman was the symbol of creation, popularly worshipped to ask for success in work, life, and advancements.
Vishnupong Elephant was one of the holy creatures created by a god, it is worshipped for quality to bring wealth.
Trimurti was a combination of 3 gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The position of the statue was a sitting one with 5 heads and 6 hands. The worshippers of Treemult god would get their wish fulfilled in health and prosperity.
Shivapong Elephant was one of the holy creatures created by a god, it is worshipped for quality to bring wealth. It is said to be modeled after Shiva, the worshippers shall be blessed with health, powers, and work advancement.
Ganesh is a god in Brahma-Hindu Religion, he has a unique figure of an elephant head and the human body, he was born from Shiva and Umachaya. He has 4 hands and is the god of obstacles. He rids good people of obstacles and is the god of all arts.
Kuan-Yin is a Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, the figure of forgiveness and kindness, the statue is in the standing form, the left hand holding holy water and the statue is represented in a lady form that is popular since the Tang Dynasty. This Bodhisattva can help rid worshippers of illness.
This statue is a statue of the god, Indra, on his elephant Erawan. They are flying on the atmosphere to oversee all the things that go on in heaven and earth. The power of Indra can give good people means to fight against bad.
Bhramapong Elephant was one of the holy creatures created by a god and is a god to worshipped for quality to bring wealth. The legend that was passed down stated that there were 10 of these elephants and this particular statue brings forth knowledge and skills to the worshippers.
The Cosmos Level was where many Buddhist statues were collected, the footprint of Buddha was showcased the middle of the room. The walls were painted with stories of ancient Thai legends, this is definitely where you can worship to get blessings in life.
About going under
the elephant's belly
Thai people believe that elephants are lucky animals, many instances show elephants as animals that bring joy and prosperity to the owners' life. The Thai people believe in an ancient tradition about crossing under the elephant's belly. Since elephants are extremely big, the person who could cross from under the elephant are the brave ones and shall not face any troubles later. This is for luck, especially for pregnant lady, going under the elephant's belly was believe to assist them in the process of giving birth, they will give birth more easily.
Floating Lotus Flowers
Puranakata means the water of plenty, in India they believed the Earth came into being just like a stem of lotus flower emerging from the pond. The act of floating lotus flower, therefore, signifies a big body of holy water, it is a symbol of plentifulness and abundance.