To say Thais are a bit xenophobic is an understatement. It’s a cultural paradox that they view themselves and their country as far superior to everyone else while at the same time tend to be in awe of other cultures too. Historically, they’ve dealt with that issue by assimilating other cultures into theirs, and then claiming ownership rights while ignoring any origins outside of their own country. This is quite evident in Thailand’s brand of Buddhism where gods and goddesses from other religions also play central roles. It is not unusual to find Hindu gods, for example, in places of honor at Thai temples. It’s just not that you often stumble upon a wat where the gods of India have taken over.

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I’m a wat aficionado. Any wat is a good wat to me. Big or small, popular or known only to those living in its immediate area, I’m always ready to step inside of any temple in Thailand I happen upon. My friend Noom, who is always willing to have a few words with Buddha, doesn’t mind the frequent wat pit stops I make. Other friends – who are usually watted out within the first few days of a visit – are less willing to indulge me. But I’m sure the gods take note of their impatience and will respond accordingly at some later date, perhaps when deciding whether those who have whined about having to see yet another wat should come back as a wealthy person or a cockroach in their next life.

It didn’t take too many visits to Bangkok for me to have checked out all the temples in and around the areas of the city more heavily frequented by touri. A few deserved more than one visit, but for the most part it’s been a been there done that attitude for years. So it’s odd that I never bothered to stop by Wat Khaek. It’s right on Silom Road, I’ve walked past it, or rode past it, a few hundred times at least. Maybe it was a bit of Thai xenophobia assimilated into my own system, a when in Rome do as the Romans do attitude that kept me from making a visit. And that makes sense. Wat Khaek, the temple’s colloquial name, literally translates as the Temple of Guests. More to the point, kàak is a common expression for people of Indian descent, making the temple’s common name an obvious euphemism for a group of people not particularly wanted as permanent residents. Unlike the locals, I’m not prone to looking down my nose at outsiders, but I’d be no more interested in visiting Wat Farang than I was in taking a closer look at Wat Khaek.

It doesn’t help that Wat Khaek does not look like a Thai temple. There are no soaring roof lines decked out in red tiles and topped with golden chofah. There are no massive white pillars, no grand staircases flanked by Naga. Instead, the temple is a wild collision of colors, a jumble of flamboyant gods and goddesses all seeming to battle for attention. Thai wats tend to have an air of tranquility about them. Wat Khaek more closely takes on the air of the hectic and congested traffic just outside its doors. But then the wat is not about the serenity of Buddha. It’s a Hindu temple. And it is dedicated to Maha Mariamman, the legendary Goddess of Death.

More properly known as Wat Phra Si Maha Umathewi to Thais and the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple to touri and those of Indian descent, Wat Khaek is one of the only two Hindu temples in Bangkok. Built around 1879 in a style specific to the temples of southern India, the wat is an important spiritual landmark for the local Tamil Hindu community. All those tailors have to have somewhere to go to beseech the gods to bring an unsuspecting touri or two their way. Not that Wat Khaek being a Hindu temple keeps Buddhists away mind you. Thais too worship here; many of the Hindu gods figure just as prominently in their individualistic approach to the Buddhist religion. My decision to finally visit the temple was stirred by Noom’s conversion to Hinduism, which in turn was stirred by his close alliance to and great love of Ganesha, the elephant god, who is responsible for bringing Noom all of the good things in life that he wants. And deserves.

Figuring a Hindu temple had to have a statue of Ganesha in it, I thought Noom would appreciate stopping by for a one-on-on with the big trunked guy. As we sailed past in a taxi one night on our way to Soi Twilight for my version of religion I asked him if he’d ever visited the temple. “I ever not been,” was his reply. Which convinced me that we had to visit, as well as convincing me that the gods had ignored my pleas regarding his insistence of turning a positive English word into the negative by throwing in a not or two.

To both of our delight, it turned out Ganesha was in fact well represented inside of the temple. He’s one of the three main gods at Wat Khaek. There’s also a few hundred more. Not to mention a reclining Buddha that seems a bit out of place. And to my delight – though of far less interest to Noom – there is also a small, central shrine containing a shiva lingam, a Hindu phallus symbol; anytime you can incorporate dick into a religious building you get extra points in my book. But Noom, who only worships dick when it means baht is involved, kept his focus where it belonged and quickly led me to where we could conveniently buy pre-proportioned offerings of milk, bananas, and incense to honor Ganesha with.

Duty done, having cared for Noom’s soul, his bank account’s future, and getting to check another wat off my list, I assumed we were done with the rather cramped and smoky temple; it provided a good juxtaposition for the more usual places of worship you find in Bangkok, and the colorful deities crammed into every available place on its facade were interesting, but none of it impacted me in the way most Thai wats do. Noom, as usual, had other ideas. He’d discovered there was a special observance for Ganesha the following week. And obviously, we had to be there for it.

This time we entered properly through the main gopuram, located on Pan Road. After having spent an inordinate amount of time perusing the offerings for sale from the vendors streetside. I’ve spent less time selecting a bar boy for the night than Noom spent on deciding exactly which garlands and which packages of Ganesha-specific offerings we needed to buy. It wasn’t just a question of what, but the arrangement mattered too as he gathered the items he knew were most appropriate, handing me my religious booty and making sure I held them in their proper order, before pulling one wad of incense sticks out from my grasp to discard it for another, and better one.

Inside, the temple was packed with worshipers (Ganesha is popular with all Thais who are in pursuit of money – which means pretty much every Thai), the atmosphere was intense, and we managed to arrive with just enough time to get a Paki dot on our foreheads before the procession began. And ended. Ganesha’s travel around the temple doesn’t take long. But the crowd of worshipers was suitable impressed nonetheless. As was Noom until he found out if you drop by the temple the day before you can have a special prayer said in your name during the ceremony. Unfortunately, I was headed back home before the celebration happened again – it is held on the fourth day after the full moon every month – but I’m sure Noom made a return pilgrimage the following month.

Difficult to miss, Wat Khaek is open to visitors from 6am to 8pm Saturdays through Thursdays, and until 9pm on Fridays. There are rituals conducted every afternoon, and several monthly celebrations in addition to those held for the major Hindu holy days. It’s not specifically a Thai site, but well worth a visit. Especially if you want Ganesha to spread a bit of wealth in your direction.

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