Saturday, November 1, 2008

In Thailand

Golden statue of Shri Ganesha in a Bangkok shrine

In Thailand, Shri Ganesha is worshipped as Phra Pikanet or Phra Phikhanesawora, as the deity of good fortune and the remover of obstacles. He is associated with the arts, education and trade. Lord Ganesha appears on the emblem for the Ministry of Fine Arts in Thailand, and the large television chanels and production companies have Shrines in his honour in front of their premises. Few movies or television shows begin shooting without a Brahmin ceremony in which prayers and offerings are made to Shri Ganesha. There are shrines to Phra Pikanet across Thailand. One of the most revered Shrines being the Royal Brahmin Temple in central Bangkok. There are other old Phra Pikanet images across Thailand, and Thai Buddhists frequently pay respect to Phra Pikanet and other Brahmin deities as a result of the overlaping Buddhist/Brahmin cosmology.

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