The Shrine of Erawan

The Erawan Shrine is recognizable by its golden, four-faced statue of the Hindu god Brahma, which sits under a tiered, ornate canopy at the edge of the busy Ratchaprasong intersection. It was established in nineteen fifty-six, not as a long-standing ancient site, but as a direct response to a string of disasters. When the government began building the Erawan Hotel on this ground, the project was plagued by worker injuries, accidents, and even the loss of a ship carrying Italian marble intended for the construction.