GETTING AROUND IN BANGKOK : MY WAY

My First day in Thailand dawned with my arrival at Suvarnabhoomi Airport, Bangkok from Chennai, India. Since I am a bit of explorative guy, I opted to find my own way to Howard Square Boutique hotel, where I had a reservation. Prior to my departure, I had explored the route maps of Bangkok through Google Earth & roughly calculated the distances. It was around 27 kilometers from the Airport to my hotel. I hired a taxi and after a little bit of negotiation, the driver guy settled for 900 Bahts. Similar distance by cab in India would have cost me more than that. I arrived at the Hotel after an hour. The way in which Thai people speak English is little bit different. I have to strain my ears to catch the phrases. Once settled in my room, I started to explore the neighborhood by walk. Howard Square hotel is situated at Bangkna area in Bangkok, which is almost a remote location. The only good thing is, it is having a nice restaurant & bar by name B-Oak in the vicinity. You can get several Indian dishes there. For short distances Motor Cycle Transport is there, wherein you can pay 10 or 15 Bahts for short distances such as 1 or 2 kilometers. Tuk-Tuks are also a better option for short travels in Bangkok, which is also economical. It is really difficult for a vegetarian to survive in Bangkok, since you can find shops selling meat everywhere. You have to survive mainly on Fruits, till you get yourself adapted to Thai Veg food, which in fact is very spicy. Another better option to move around in Bangkok is by Sky Train, where you can get One day pass. You can find the exact fares in my earlier posts. Some hotels offer the free cab drop to the nearest Sky Train station at specified hours. I will take you through the major attractions and malls in Bangkok in my upcoming posts.

ANGKORWAT - ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL

ANGKORWAT - HISTORY The Temple of Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu by King Suryavarman II, who reigned between AD 1131 and 1150. The Temple was constructed over a period of 30 years, and illustrates some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art. Covering an area of about 81 hectares, the complex consists of five towers, which are presently shown on the Cambodian national flag. These towers are believed to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the Home of Gods and Center of the Hindu Universe. Angkor Wat features the ancient Hindu Architecture in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls, narrating stories from Hindu Mythology. Located about 7 km away from Siem Reap, the Angkor Wat Temple rises out of the ground like a big mountain. Ad measuring about 200 meters each side of a square at the base, the temple is surrounded by a huge moat which must be at least a mile long on each side. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Shiva, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as Vrah Vishnu-lok ( literally "Holy Vishnu'-Location'", Old Khmer' Cl. Sanskrit). after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished. In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north. Henri Mouhot popularised the temple in the west in the mid 19th-century. In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

HINDU GODS OF BANGKOK

Erawan Shrine : Erawan is the name of the mythical Hindu elephant which was Rama's mount. This is the name of a Hindu Shrine depicting the image of Phra Phrom. It is also a Brahmin Shrine. Similar four headed gold plated images of Rama can be seen often in Thailand particularly out side large hotel buildings. This is not to be confused with the Thai Spirit Houses also often placed in front of buildings. The Trimurthy Shrine : This shrine includes the three pillars of Hindu Gods, Brahma the Creator, Shiva the Destroyer and Vishnu the Preserver. The image is in bronze and is gold plated. Narayana on Garuda : There is a statue of Narayana astride Garuda in front of Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok. Mahalakshmi Statue : At Bangkok's Gaysorn Plaza, and you have an interesting view from there over the sky train construction, and surrounding building such as the Central World Plaza. Thai people pray to Lakshmi for wealth, although this is the only shrine which is well hidden.