THAILAND, October 29, 2023 (SCMP): As visitors enter Bangkok’s Grand Palace, they pass supernatural security guards. Standing inside the main entrance of the royal complex in the Thai capital are two towering statues, each with sharp fangs protruding from their mouths and clubs in their grip. They not only embody the colorful excess which makes the site so photogenic, but also depict a key figure from Thai mythology, the Yaksha, whose role is to protect palaces, temples and other sacred sites. While human threats are the responsibility of the white-helmeted, rifle-toting King’s Guard soldiers who march through the palace, the Yaksha here and at other sites in Thailand monitor other worldly enemies, ready to tackle any demons that try to lay siege or lay curses on them. It is not clear exactly when Yaksha first entered the country’s traditions, but they are depicted in Thai art that is more than 800 years old. A 12th century bronze sculpture – Yaksha Supporting a Naga – is part of the Asian Art collection at New York’s Metropolitan Museum.

The first known appearance of Yaksha is in the Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic of 24,000 verses that was written over several centuries and is one of the two most important epics of Hinduism. It may not be readily apparent to tourists, but modern Thailand has been shaped more by Hindu culture than any other. More than 700 years ago, for instance, the Sukhothai Kingdom adapted the Ramayana to create the Ramakien, an epic which is also well represented at the Grand Palace. Painted in sequence along several interior walls are 178 murals that relate a long, spectacular battle between king of the demons Tosakanth and human King Rama. King Rama eventually saves his kidnapped queen after his army of monkey warriors defeats his supernatural foe.

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https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3239289/mythological-figures-guard-thai-temples-and-palaces-bangkok-chiang-mai-and-their-roots-hinduism

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