Thao Maha Brahma

This guide to the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok starts in 1956, when the government's grand new Erawan Hotel was plagued by vanished shipments, injured workers and spiraling costs, and Hindu-Brahmin priests were called in to diagnose why. It follows their verdict about the cursed ground beneath the site, and the shrine to the four-faced god Phra Phrom they recommended building in response. You'll hear how the hotel finally opened and prospered for decades, before it was later replaced by the Grand Hyatt that stands here now. Look up at each of the four gilded faces as you circle the shrine.