Some women were sitting around the city pillars called Lak Mueang and praying

Women praying in Lak Mueang
Women praying in Lak Mueang
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After paying my respects at the Erawan Shrine, which has become a part of my morning routine, I headed for the Royal Palace area. I decided to take a short detour before entering the Royal Palace in Bangkok and entered a small shrine called Lak Mueang. Inside the shrine, the floor is recessed, and two golden pillars are erected in the center. These pillars are the deities of Lak Mueang.

The guardian deity of Bangkok, Chao Pho Lak Muang, is said to reside in these two pillars, so they must be like yoriyos (deities) in Japan. There are many Buddha statues in Bangkok, Hindu gods like Erawan Temple, and other local gods. Chao Pho Lak Mueang has a wide range of benefits. Many people visit the temple to pray to the deity, as it is believed to bring both financial and professional success. When I entered the temple, a woman was sitting on the floor praying.

Although it is not unusual in Japan to have a pillar as the deity (in Japan, gods are counted as one or two pillars), the custom of worshipping the guardian deity of a town is something that is not found in Japan. This may mean that towns and villages were less likely to be attacked by foreign enemies in Japan. In fact, Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, is not surrounded by walls now or in the past.

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Dec 2019 PEOPLE THAILAND

PHOTO DATA

No

11321

Shooting Date

Sep 2019

Posted On

December 13, 2019

Modified On

September 25, 2023

Place

Bangkok, Thailand

Genre

Street Photography

Camera

SONY ALPHA 7R II

Lens

SONNAR T* FE 55MM F1.8 ZA

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