Page 48 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

In addition to the southern region, many Brahmin-Hindu
sanctuaries and sculptures also appear in other regions across
Thailand. They are seen in Prachinburi province in the east, and
in several provinces of the northeast such as Nakhon Ratchasima
and Buriram, in the west at Kanchanaburi and in the lower north
in Sukhothai. When the Sukhothai kingdom was founded in 1257,
Brahmin-Hinduism was already established, along side Buddhism.
Despite of Sri Lankan Buddhism penetrating into Siam during the
period, the Brahmin-Hindu belief was even more inflluential to gov-
ernment in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. In Brahmin-Hindu, King was
believed to be from reincarnation of God on earth for the welfare
of mankind. Every royal ceremony are to be for the stability and
fertility in accordance with the tradition of Brahmin-Hindu religion
where Naraya is the Vedic Supreme God. Thus, King is considered
to be in the same status as Narayana Avatar. The belief had been
continued all the way to Thonburi period, until the time when the
capital was moved on the island of Rattanakosin in 1782. After
the capital of Bangkok has been established, a shrine was built in
center of the city. This is a sacred place of worship where important
religious ritual and ceremonies are hold to ensure stability, wealth,
and sustainability in the kingdom. The worship statues of God during
such period, made of stone and bronze, are art of several periods.
The statues express great power and gorgeousness, and stable faith.
These statues are: Shiva- Lingam, Parameswara, Brahma Tada,
Vishnu, Ganapati, Ganesh, Uma and Lakshmi, etc.

1 Vishnu, Sukhothai Period 1
2 Ishvara, Sukhothai Period

46 2

46