The Emerald Buddha at The Royal Monastery Thailand

Emerald Buddha

The Emerald Buddha is enshrined on a golden traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded-carved wood, known as a Busabok, in the ordination hall of the royal monastery. The sacred image is clad with one of the three seasonal costumes (summer, rainy season, and winter). The costumes are changed three times a year in a ceremony presided over by His Majesty the King.

The Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha is one of the most adored sites in Thailand at north of the royal residence and linked by a connecting gateway. It is a place where people go to pay respect to the Lord Buddha and His Teachings.

The Emerald Buddha is in fact carved from a block of green jade and was first discovered in 1434 in a stupa in Chiang Rai. At that time the image was covered with plaster and was thought to be an ordinary Buddha image. Later, however, the Abbot who had found the image noticed that the plaster on the nose had flaked off, revealing the green stone underneath. He initially thought that the stone was emerald and thus the legend of the Emerald Buddha image began.

The Royal Monastery of Emerald Buddha

The Monastery consists of all the architectural features of a Buddhist monastery but without residential quarters as no monks reside here. It also serves as the monarch’s private chapel and, as such, the ordination hall is furnished with two partitions on either side of the main altar in order to provide a private retiring room for the monarch. This feature is found only at the Royal Chapel of Thonburi, which now serves as the ordination hall of Wat Arun, located on the grounds of the palace of King Thonburi.

pray at Emerald Buddha 

The walls of the ordination hall are decorated with mural paintings. Above the window frames, from the south west corner on the right of the altar, are a series of paintings depicting selscted events of the Lord Buddha’s life, including scenes from his birth, childhood, youth and the Great Renunciation. The murals on the east wall facing the high altar portray scenes of Temptation and Enlightenment, with a picture of the Earth Goddess underneath the Buddha’s seat. The murals along the north wall demonstrate the lord Buddha’s preaching his Dharma and his Entering Nirvana and those behind the main altar represent the Buddhist Cosmology. Those behind the window panels illustrate various scenes from Jataka stories and Thai proverbs.

http://bangkok-thailand-tourism.blogspot.com/2008/03/royal-monastery-of-emerald-buddha.html

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The Erawan Shrine - The Four-Faced Buddha - Bangkok

The Erawan Shrine (Thai: ศาลพระพรหม, San Phra Phrom) or Thao Mahaprom Shrine is a Hindu shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, that houses a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu creation god Brahma, who is regarded in Thai culture as a deity of good fortune and protection.

Erawan Shrine at Bangkok

Worshipers of Phra Phrom usually offer incense, candles, jasmine flowers or jasmine garlands and young coconut milk (with water in them) in their worship, usually placing these offerings before all four heads of Phra Phrom, each head representing a different aspect of the deity; it is believed each side of Phra Phrom offers different blessings. Another common way of worship is to place wooden elephant statues on the altar to honor him.

Worshipers of Phra Phrom

The shrine is located by the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, at the Ratchaprasong intersection of Ratchadamri Road in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand. It is near the Bangkok Skytrain's Chitlom Station, which has an elevated walkway overlooking the shrine. The area has many shopping malls nearby, including Gaysorn, CentralWorld and Amarin Plaza.

worshiper at Four Faces Buddha Bangkok

The Erawan Shrine was built in 1956 as part of the government-owned Erawan Hotel to eliminate the bad karma believed caused by laying the foundations on the wrong date.  The hotel's construction was delayed by a series of mishaps, including cost overruns, injuries to laborers, and the loss of a shipload of Italian marble intended for the building. Furthermore, the Ratchaprasong Intersection had once been used to put criminals on public display.

An astrologer advised building the shrine to counter the negative influences. The Brahma statue was designed and built by the Department of Fine Arts and enshrined on 9 November 1956. The hotel's construction thereafter proceeded without further incident. In 1987, the hotel was demolished and the site used for the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel.

Phra Phrom is also known to admire Thai classical music, which is played near larger scale outdoor altars, accompanied by  dancers. At The Erawan Shrine, A popular tourist attraction often features performances by resident Thai dance troupes, who are hired by worshipers in return for seeing their prayers at the shrine answered.

dancer ready to perform

Worshipers of Phra Phrom are also usually advised to abstain from consuming meat. It is also believed that worshipers have to make good on any promises made to the deity else misfortune will befall them instead of the fortune that was asked for.

Thai dancers at Erawan Shrine Bangkok

On 21 March 2006, a man vandalized the shrine and was killed by bystanders. However, two months after the incident a new Brahma statue was completed and placed in the shrine on 21 May 2006

Phra Phrom is colloquially known outside Thailand as the four-faced Buddha (四面佛, Sìmiàn fó) by overseas Chinese worshipers, especially in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan where worship of Phra Phrom is popular.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erawan_Shrine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Phrom

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Chatuchak weekend Market - Everything is on here

The Chatuchak (or Jatujak; Thai: : จตุจักร) weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand and the world's largest weekend market. Frequently is called J.J. It has reached a landmark status as a must-go place for tourists. Its sheer size and diverse collections of merchandise will bring any seasoned shoppers to their knees. This is where you can literally shop ‘till you drop’. The local brochure says 1 in 1,000 places to see before you die.

art and home decoration stall at Chatuchak market

The Chatuchak  market covers over 35 acres (0.14 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated at the market receives 200,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays though Jatujak Plaza, the western section is open daily.

cool staffs at Chatuchak market

The Chatuchak Market is definitely a worthwhile experience for those looking to buy just about anything from household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, live animals, to souvenirs for folks back home. You name it and you can find it here. For tourists, there are a number of onsite companies who will send purchases abroad.

colorful flower decoration at Jatujak market

Chatuchak Weekend Market is the perfect place for bargain hunting. Brush up your negotiation skills and be prepared to walk away when the deal fails to go your way. It also helps to do a few practice runs before you actually start buying. Note that a friendly attitude and big smile are your biggest allies in securing the best possible deal. Then, you’ll either be offered a lower price or simply find the same merchandise at another stall. Although whatever you buy here is probably no longer the best deal you can find, but you can use the average price for the same item at several stall as a best deal price.

lamps and accessories stall at Chatuchak Market

You can save your time if you know exactly what you want or which stall to go to. However, many expect to be surprised and let the sights of all the goods take them through a journey down the maze of stalls. Most often, shoppers arrive with a rough idea of what they want, then are hypnotized by what they see and end up going home with more than a few extra shopping items.

gate 1 chatuchak weekend market

Alleys are number and in sections, however what they say is in the section isn't always consistent with what is there. Here is the list of stall at Jatujak market with section number .

1. Miscellaneous & secondhand clothes 2. Trees & Home Furniture 3. Trees & accessories 4. Home furniture 5. Handicraft & Miscellaneous 6. Pets and animals accessories 7. Trees and gardening accessories

8.    Arts and crafts. Clothing & wickerwork 9.    Pets and wickerwork 10. Handicraft, clothing and miscellaneous 11. Wickerwork and ceramics 12. Dried food, hiking equipment and clothing 13. Pets and animals accessories 14. Clothing, hiking equipment and leather

15. Food and drink, clothing and miscellaneous 16. Food and drink, clothing and miscellaneous 17. Food and drink, ceramic and furniture 18. Clothing, food and drink 19. Dried food, gift and benjarong 20. Clothing, gift and hiking equipment 21. Clothing, shoes and miscellaneous

22. Food and drink, clothing and miscellaneous 23. Food and drink, clothing and miscellaneous 24. Trees & agricultural equipment 25. Handicraft, antiques & collectibles 26. Antiques, dried food & clothing 27. Food & drink, book & miscellaneous

Map of Chatucak

Jatujak market map

Here is some tips:

• Remember this is a weekend market so if you are in Bangkok on Saturday or Sunday, this makes a great shopping attraction to consider
• A lot of stalls also have fans or even aircon, so you can strategically plan your purchases with nice free cooling. The air-conditioned JJ Mall next to it is worth checking out, lots of small shops selling interesting things.
• Food & drinks available all over and exchange office at all entrances! Bottled water was only 10 baht so no worries there. Coconut ice cream, fried chicken, coconut water, shrimps, durian sticky rice, pineapple ginger smoothies, Wanton Noodles.....everything delicious. You can also find Chatuchak a prominent place to find skilled Thai iced tea makers practicing their trade.

Resto at Chatuchak Market

• Be advised that if you make an offer, be prepared to pay. If you back off you will create a tense situation.
• It is very hot in the market due to enclosed areas, due to lack of ventilation. Dress in cool clothing, and take it easy, even if you get excited about all of the stuff you can buy
• There are many pick pockets and petty thieves watching, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The local said theft is common here!

art and antique stall

• Go as early as you can as it does get hot and very crowded (risking missing most shops if they are not opened) or late afternoon so at that time local sellers also joins as a street vendors and they are much cheapers in the rates.
• When you get tired or hungry there are lots of stalls where you can sit and eat or you can go next door to the Railway Park which has lots of benches to sit on. Try foot massage for 100 baht!

foot massage at chatuchak market

• The BTS stops right at Chatuchak and is probably the easiest way of getting there.. My favorite sections were the art area and the housewares/furniture area. Each vendor had unique pieces in these areas
• Bring a few empty big shopping bags & and haggle away!

T-Shirt for souvenir

• This is a place where you can't find any honey with your credit card. and it can be a long walk to the next ATM. Money changer is quite crowded so get your Baht ready.
• Protect yourself against the sun, by wearing sunglasses, a hat and use sunscreen
• Make sure you get a map at one of the entrances. If you venture right into the centre of the markets where you can find pets, ducks, chickens etc. it may take you a little while to find your way back without a map.

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