Introduction to the Lord Vishnu Shrine

The Vishnu Shrine is a 25 year old temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the members of the Hindu trinity. The predominant feature of this shrine is a brightly colored statue of Vishnu above which a cobra protectively spreads her hood. The shrine is maintained by Indian priests and is under the administration of the Hindu Association of Thailand which also manages a school and temple just down the street from here. The atmosphere around the shrine is especially fascinating in the evening around 7 o’ clock when Thai Buddhists and Indian Hindus gather together here to chant hymns.

Lord Vishnu

Lord Vishnu is popularly regarded as the preserver of the universe. He is depicted frequently in human form with four arms: One hand holds a lotus; a second holds a conch; a third holds a discus; and the fourth carries a mace. The petals of the lotus are believed to symbolize the unfolding of creation; the conch is said to symbolize that from which all life originates.

Occasionally, the balance of power is upset in favor of evil, and then Lord Vishnu is believed to descend to earth in a mortal form to save humankind or the world. Ten such avatars are commonly recognized, of which Lord Rama is the most important in Thailand. Rama has been used as a title for the Thai kings since the sixth reign, and the former Siamese capital of Ayutthaya was named after the city in India where Rama ruled.

Vishnu is often seen riding a huge creature, half bird and half man, called Garuda in Thailand. Garuda also happens to be the personal emblem of the King of Thailand, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Vishnu. So each vehicle of the King — whether Rolls-Royce, royal barge, train or plane — becomes Garuda. And every vehicle carrying the king will sport a hood ornament in the form of Garuda. Garuda’s image also graces all official government documents, highway marker posts, banks, and all coinage and currency.