“How a 19th-century Tamil temple in Bangkok became a spiritual sanctuary for all”, Scroll, September 23, 2025
“In the bustling business district of Silom, right in the heart of Bangkok, sits a charming Thai rendition of a Tamil Nadu temple complex. Across the street from the shrine, there is a row of shops, where families and young couples buy flowers and pooja offerings before crossing over into the temple. Everything about it, from the vibrant colours and gopuram to the intricate idols, evokes temples of the southern Indian state. The noticeable difference: here, the Indian Tricolour flies alongside the flags of Thailand and the kingdom’s royalty.
This temple, built in the late 1870s, has been the centre of Tamil community life in the Thai capital. Once strictly for Hindus, it now welcomes people of all ethnicities and religions.
“It is a temple of Goddess Uma, consort of Shiva, built around 1879 by [a] group of Indians lived (sic) in Bangkok on the purchased land on Silom Road,” a sign in Thai and English reads at the entrance. “At first it was built (sic) a small sala (Indian pavilion) and named Sala Sri Mari Amman……”
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