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The Giant Swing at Wat Suthat

Wat Suthat Thep Wararam - วัดสุทัศนเทพวราราม  One of Bangkok's most iconic landmarks is the Giant Swing, a towering red monument looking something like a Japanese torii gate , but serving a very different purpose. Long ago used in a royal ceremony by the kingdom's secretive royal court Brahmins, the swing today serves as a symbol of the City of Angels. Wat Suthat Temple, the home of the Giant Swing, is a first-class temple of the royal grade, of which there are only ten in all of Bangkok. Wat Suthat Temple and the Giant Swing in Bangkok's old town Surrounding the temple sanctuary are twenty-eight miniature Chinese-style pagodas carved from stone. According to the Buddhist scriptures, there have been twenty-seven Buddhas before the enlightenment of Prince Siddhārtha Gautama. Each of these twenty-eight pagodas therefore correspond to one of the ancient enlightened lives of the Buddha. 28 Chinese pagodas surrounding Wat Suthat Temple, corresponding to the lives
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Jatulokbal Shrine, Ratchaprasong - The God of Directions

Lord Tao Jatulokbal -  the God of Four Directions

Amidst the constant bustle of Ratchaprasong, downtown Bangkok's busiest shopping district, is a secret hidden gem: a collection of eight sacred Hindu shrines that the devout visit on a mini pilgrimage in the heart of the city. Some, like the Erawan Shrine may be well-known, but others, like the Jatulokbal Shrine, tend to be more overlooked.

Atop Gaysorn Village Shopping Mall, next to the shrine to the goddess Lakshmi, stands the shrine to Lord Jatulokbal, the Hindu God of Four Directions, a one-of-a-kind shrine combining four powerful Hindu gods into one deity.

Jatulokbal, the Hindu god of four directions
Jatulokbal Shrine in downtown Bangkok

The four faces of Jatulokbal look out over Bangkok, facing in the four cardinal directions, ensuring blessings of peace and safety to all. The four-faced god is the protector of all directions and the defender of the teachings of the Buddha in Thailand.

The statue of Jatulokbal, a combination of four powerful Hindu deities, is the only of its type in the world. The shrine is unique to Thailand, a representation of the heavenly protection of Buddhist teaching throughout the kingdom.

Jatulokbal shrine Bangkok
Jatulokbal, the Hindu god of four directions

When to visit the Jatulokbal Shrine

  • You can visit the Jatulokbal Shrine whenever Gaysorn Village shopping mall is open. The mall is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.

What to do at the Jatulokbal Shrine

Visitors to the Jatulokbal Shrine can light incense to pray for luck, power, protection, or prosperity. As Jatulokbal looks out over all four cardinal directions, those going on a trip or journey will visit the shrine to  pray for safety and protection on their travels.

Eat, Pray, Shop - Eight Hindu Shrines at the Ratchaprasong Intersection in downtown Bangkok

The Jatulokbal Shrine is just one of the eight Hindu shrines in the Ratchaprasong Intersection. The Thai Tourist Authority has instituted an initiative called "Eat, Pray, Shop" to encourage people to take a short pilgrimage to each of the shrines and discover the sacred hidden secret of downtown Bangkok.

Where is the Jatulokbal Shrine?

  • The Jatukokbal Shrine is hidden on the 4th floor terrace at Gaysorn Village. You can reach it by entering the shopping mall and taking the elevator to the fourth floor.
  • The shrine is located next to the Lakshmi Shrine, on the terrace of the same building
  • 999 Phloen Chit Rd, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330
  • https://goo.gl/maps/DeQxFC2zLj32 
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