When Gods travel....

So, once again Thailand is going through political unrest. These intermittent periods of turmoil, which also resulted in a series of coups, has been a common feature in the country since the early decades of the Cold War. A period of political stability was attained in the 1980’s. And finally the first Constitution of Thailand was drafted in 1997 and the first ever general elections conducted in 2001. But very soon it was the season for coups once again. So far these periods of political unrest hardly affected the general life in this country of peace loving people. In the 2006 coup, I remember how calm the political `unrest’ was. While everyone outside Thailand worried for their near and near ones in the country as they watched TV screens repeatedly flashing the same brief shots of tanks and the military marching into Bangkok city, the Thai’s in Bangkok were busy taking snapshots standing alongside army tanks and exchanging `peace’ roses with army personnel.



And for an economy thriving on tourism, Thailand is one of the safest places I have experienced. So after my initial few excited starry eyed days at the shopping malls I did the rounds of the heritage monuments located along the two banks of the Chao Phraya River. This included a long list of temples or Wats, as they are known in Thai. But except for Wat Arun, known as Temple of Dawn by the foreign tourist, I found the uniformity among these monuments very boring. Especially, the multitudes of small and big Wats within the vast expanse of the Grand Palace, which is not only the official residence of the King of Thailand, constructed in 1782, but also the venue for all royal ceremonies including coronations and funerals. See one Wat and you have seen them all. They are no doubt very `Grand’, like the very revered Wat dedicated to the Emerald Buddha; each and every structure within the Grand palace is gilded, elaborately decorated and meticulously maintained. But the sameness and relative newness of the monuments failed to enchant the archeologist in me. Instead I enjoyed getting lost in the smells and sights on the busy China town located next to the Palace.



All along my afternoon jaunts to these monuments, what actually tugged my mind was the umbilical cord that connected the cultures of this vast landmass called South East Asia. It may sound a bit pompous but the fact remains that rulers and traders from India had a big role in colonizing these regions. And along with them came our language, culture and traditions. Sanskrit is so neatly woven into the fabric of Thai language. But the pronunciation varies drastically and I found it an interesting exercise deciphering the Sanskrit root of words and names.



Speaking of cultural exchanges, the one most important set of guests that traveled to Suvarnabhoomi were our Hindu gods and goddesses! Thailand is a Buddhist country and follows the Theravada form of Buddhism, which incorporates a lot of Hindu beliefs and traditions, including animism and ancestor worship. Hence, although Wats are predominantly Buddhists, there are also temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma all over Thailand. Wat Arun, for instance, is dedicated to Aruna – the Hindu god of dawn. Like our very own temple gopuras, Wat Arun’s central 80 mt tall Prang or the Khmer style pagoda, symbolizes Mt Meru. Decorated with sea shells and bits of Chinese porcelain, it’s like a blazing tower reflecting the sun rays. Certain sculptural details are also common to all temples. Like the depiction of Nagas or serpents, on doorways, steps, candle stands, and railings surrounding the temple. Huge weapon bearing guardian Dwarapalas are also a must at the entrance to the temple. Hindu religious symbols are the same, except that they are dressed up in Thai traditional costumes and postures.



I was amazed to see the large numbers of devotees thronging the small corner temple at Erawan dedicated to Lord Brahma. Located on the main commercial street in Bangkok, this recent temple located at the site of an older temple is considered very holy. Similarly there are small roadside temples dedicated to Shiva and Ganesh. Most residential and commercial buildings have one or two miniature temples dedicated to Hindu Gods, built in wood or cement at the main entrance or in the Garden.



But even more far reaching is the influence that Indian gods, and related myths and epics have on the culture of South East Asia. Ramayana, for instance, is ingrained in most forms of performing arts, then be it dance-drama, or puppetry. In Thailand, while the main story remains identical to Valmiki’s Ramayana, the attire, including ornamental decoration, masks, and weapons, are typically local to the region. However, there are also interesting variations to the Ramleela performances in Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Like the version in Sri Lanka, where Ravana the Asura king of Lanka, is depicted as the noble and just ruler and Rama of Ayodhya is the villain!! One could do extensive research on the diversity in narrative traditions of the Ramayana epic across South East Asia. Even more phenomenal is that most of the Ramayana performers in Indonesia and Malaysia are Muslims! I’ll come to that later. But certainly, when Gods travel across borders, they also become more tolerant and accommodating.



Similarly with festivals. Thai New Year is celebrated on Songkran day in the month of April. The word Songkran is derived from the Sanskrit sankrant, and symbolizes the same phenomenon of the Sun’s movement into the Makar or Aries zodiac; an occasion for Makarsankranti in the month of January in our country. It is believed that in ancient times this solar phenomenon was celebrated on the same day all over Southeast Asia. The next most important festival called the Loy Kratong in November coincides with the Tripurari Kartika Poornima in the month of Kartik on the Hindu calendar. Basically a celebration of the most auspicious full moon night of the twelfth lunar month or the winter solstice in the Christian calendar. Traditional festivals all over the world are rooted in seasonal changes, yet it’s amazing to note these close cultural ties between nations.