The cage in which many birds were put was placed at the entrance to Erawan shrine

Cage for Life Release in Erawan shrine — Entrance to Erawan Shrine

Once again I came to the Erawan Shrine. It is a Hindu shrine located at the intersection of Rama I Road and Ratchadamri Road in central Bangkok, on the grounds of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. If you go nearby, you will not miss it as there are many worshippers.

It is not a bad idea to start the day with a prayer at this shrine. Many people seem to think so, and the Erawan Shrine is crowded with worshippers from early in the morning. Seeing so many people coming to the shrine to seek some kind of blessing, one would think that Bangkok is a big city with countless problems. The small shrine precincts are filled to overflowing with people's worries. Yet, the golden statue of Brahma sitting in the center of the temple is unperturbed by the overflow of people's worries.

At the entrance to the Erawan shrine, a woman sits by the gate with a cage of birds beside her. This woman looks as if she is an integral part of the shrine, but in fact she has nothing to do with it. However, she is sitting at the entrance of the shrine and doing her business as if she has something to do with the shrine. The woman is there letting worshippers release the caged bird.

Releasing is a religious ceremony in which captured fish, birds, and animals are released to warn people against killing. It is a ritual that originally originated in ancient India and has been incorporated into Shintoism in Japan. In Southeast Asia, it is not unusual to see people like this woman holding a cage with small birds in it at the gate of a temple. The woman accepts money and releases the bird in the cage so that worshippers can accumulate merit.

Although it is generally considered a Buddhist ritual, this is a Hindu temple. A Buddhist ceremony in front of a Hindu shrine. It is a bit interesting. I felt like I saw a glimpse of the combination of Buddhism and Hinduism in Thailand.

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