At 9:30 in the morning and at at night every Thursday, outside the statue of the deity Shiva in front of Central World, Bangkok, Thailand, a crowd gathers to pray for love.
I had just stepped out of a Thai Food Festival at Central World Bangkok, heading to catch my bus home, when I ran into a huge crowd of people gathered around a shrine. I noticed that they mostly had roses or incense in their hands.
Curious I walked around observing the ritual and decided they were all praying for something.
I approached a local guy sitting at the back to inquire about the event. Sadly, though he could speak a little bit of English, he was unable to explain the event to me. I then turned to the girl playing with her phone hoping that I would have better luck with her explanation.
“They pray for love,” said the girl whose name was Wan.
Every Thursday, at 9:30, hundreds of people appear in droves to crowd the Trimurti Shrine at Central World. The Trimurti is a representation of three faces of the Hindu gods Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer and Shiva the Destroyer, in love and unity.
According to their belief, an offering of nine red items to the gods – nine red roses, nine candles, nine incense sticks, or even nine bottles of Fanta – along with reciting a mantra, would hopefully get them to find you a place in someone’s heart.
“Does it really work?” I asked Wan.
“You try,” replied Wan with a playful look in her eyes.
At 9:30 in the morning and at at night every Thursday, outside the statue of the deity Shiva in front of Central World, Bangkok, Thailand, a crowd gathers to pray for love.
At 9:30 in the morning and at at night every Thursday, outside the statue of the deity Shiva in front of Central World, Bangkok, Thailand, a crowd gathers to pray for love.