To get up lonely in a large room in a foreign hotel is a different experience. I had slept late, so lingered in bed a bit longer and got up about 6 AM. I followed the ritual of making coffee and planning the day. I had scheduled myself to stay a couple of days longer in Bangkok, but I had not planned any activity. These days would be exploratory to learn about local history and culture. Strategically located, Bangkok has gained the distinction as the trade capital of South Asia. The history of the country is sloppy, like the history of India. Some of the western "scholars" have connected various observational items without any formal analysis. Thai language when heard is full of vowels and the prosodic renderings, but is transliterated as strange phonemes. The design was apparently collected by some Portuguese missionaries. The whole slaughter of language bothers me. I have reason to believe that the Thai culture owes a lot to Orissa, but there is no research. Orissa is a non-entity in the compilation of modern Indian history. Whatever we know of Orissa is given by people outside Orissa. No Oriya scholar has studied all the copper plates that are collected in Orissa to document history. I wanted to know when did trade to Thailand begin and how did Rama show up in this land. I would particularly like to know what was being traded, since Thailand seems like a land of plenty. In my schedule today I would go to a Temple of Sun (Arun) which further convinces me of the Orissa connection. But I have not studied Thai language and my ignorance has reduced me to be an onlooker.
After shower I showed up at the breakfast table in a leisurely manner. I took up a table to myself and read the newspaper particularly to check any cultural events of interest. The cultural events are held as dinner theaters. I wanted to attend one nearby in the evening. I decided to visit the local Devi Temple which was a few hundred yards away from our hotel. I took hot Indian breakfast to prepare me for a longer day. The coffee was good though not served by our usual hostess. Consistency is a signature of hospitality!
I walked to the Sri Mariamman Temple, a south Indian Devi temple right on the main road. Women were buying water lily on stems, jasmine garlands, coconuts and incense sticks from the local store and entering the Temple for a worship service. The self-help service was in the open space outside the shrine. Mostly people were in their casual summer shorts but with seriousness expressed in their faces. I entered the Temple through the main door . There was a big rush of devotees in the tiny space of about ten feet by twenty feet space. The devotees carried worship material on plates, which were given to the priests. The transfer was a three second encounter because of the rush. Some devotees watched at the deity in anxiety and some others shook a box filled with sticks at a side shrine. The latter is lesser noise than the bells we ring in India. Buddhism streamlined Hindu rituals for orderliness!
After buying a few souvenir items I proceeded to The Museum Siam - a discovery museum near the Grand Palace area. The three wheel transports are called tuk-tuk and are fairly convenient. The museum is created for the school children to learn about the "known" history of Siam. There was good innovations in multimedia displays to make the child's experience fun and engaging. We have been planning a similar education center on India in Boston. I have to visit many more countries to check out interactive educational exhibits.
After having lunch at the Museum I walked through the local streets to discover the massive display of herb products like oils, balms, food supplements and soaps. I bought a few turmeric soaps and proceeded to the pier for a boat ride across the river to visit the Sun Temple. The massive structure with gardens and side temples has been converted to be a Buddhist shrine. Buddha has been the luckiest man ever alive, having the largest number of images constructed and displayed on the face of the earth. Did I remember that Buddha said that he was no God any way!
I took the boat back and wanted to visit the Temple on the Golden Mount, an artificial hill created in the center of town to lift Buddha up a couple of hundred feet. There were Buddhist lamas quartered in the premises. Some lamas were going up and down the several hundred steps back and forth. I trekked up the steps ringing the bells as I climbed. I had fun with a whole gong percussion instrument ensemble of various sizes. I tried to play in concert. Nobody seemed to bother. The noise one makes dies in the expanse of the space. The Buddha at the top was solemn. I had been told that all Buddhas have different looks and the faithful knew the difference.
The temple closed at 7 PM. I took the tuktuk to get to my dinner theater appointment. I will write about my evening expedition tomorrow.
