Pattaya is visited by more than one million Indians every year, and for those who are here for the first time, the city may produce a feeling of familiarity, similar to that of Pondicherry. The cultural and environmental similarities between South India and Thailand are obvious, even though Pondicherry does not share key characteristics of Pattaya’s nightlife. How deeply embedded these links are, which encompass traditions, religion, language, and history, is something that very few people are aware of. A more in-depth examination of these remarkable connections is as follows:
The India -Thailand History
The central Thailand region was once been the home of the Mon Dvaravati (A part of Dravidian) culture, which prevailed from the 7th century to the 10th century. The inscriptions of Dvaravati were in Sanskrit and Mon using the script derived from the Pallava alphabet of the South Indian Pallava dynasty. The religion of Dvaravati is Hindu cultured Buddhism which worshipped Vishnu.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya (1351–1767)
The city of Ayutthaya gets its name from the sacred city of Ayodhya, which is located in India and is the spot where Sri Rama was born. During his reign from 1351 to 1369, King Uthong, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, made two significant contributions to the history of Thailand. Firstly, he established and promoted Theravada Buddhism as the official religion to differentiate his kingdom from the neighbouring Hindu kingdom of Angkor. Secondly, he compiled the Dharmaśāstra, which is a legal code that is based on Hindu sources. From the late 19th century onwards, the Dharmaśāstra continued to serve as a legal instrument in Thailand.
Rattanakosin period (1782–present)
In 1782, General Chakri became the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty, succeeding Taksin as the ruler of the Chakri kingdom. He established a new capital city in the same year, which was located on the other side of the Chao Phraya River, in a region that was formerly known as Rattanakosin Island and is now often referred to as Bangkok.
Ramakien
Ramakien, also known as Ramayana is an Indian Epic but it is also Thailand’s national epic. A painted representation of the Ramakien is displayed at Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew, and many of the statues there depict characters from it.
The Real Name of Bangkok
It is not Bangkok that is the name of the capital city of Thailand; rather, it is the name of the actual official name of the city. The actual name of the temple is “Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit” which translates to “The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma” . Both Indra and Vishnukarma are Deities in the Hindu religion of India.
Namaste
Indian Añjali Mudrā or Namaste is called Wai in Thailand. The word often spoken with the wai as a greeting or farewell is “sawatdi” or “sawasdee” derived from the Sanskrit word svasti (स्वस्ति meaning ‘well-being’).
Gods In Thailand
Phra Narai/Witsanu – Vishnu
Phra Isuan – Shiva
Phra Phrom – Brahma
Phra Uma-thewi – Parvathi
Phra Laksami – Lakshmi
Phra In – Indra
Mali Warat – Visravas (God of Demons)
Phra A-thit – Surya
Phra Phai – Vayu
Phra Witsawakam/Witsanukam – Viśhwákarma
Pra Ram – Lord Rama
Phra Lak – Lakshmana
Phra Sida – SitaHanuman
Phra Phikanet / Phra Phikanesuan – Ganesha
Emblem of Thailand
The Phra Khrut Pha, also known as the Garuda in Sanskrit, is the term used to describe the national emblem of Thailand. In the year 1911, King Vajiravudh, also known as Rama VI, decided to officially adopt the Garuda as the national emblem.
Language
The Thai language bears a close affinity with Dravidian languages. A close linguistic affiliation between India and Thailand can be found in common Thai words like Ratha Mantri, Vidhya, Samuthra, Karuna, Prannee etc. King Ramkhamhaeng created the Thai alphabet in 1283 which he modelled it on the ancient Sanskrit and Pali through the medium of the old Khmer characters.
Ceremonies
1. Triyampawai Ceremony – A Dravidian Hindu Brahmin ceremony performed to pay homage to the God Shiva.
2. Royal Ploughing Ceremony – Similar to Pongal or harvesting festival.
3. Royal Ceremony for preparing Celestial Rice – A offering made to Lord Indra. (This was abolished by Sri Krishna: Refer Govardhana Giri Pastime)
4. Kathin Ceremony – Offering new cloths to Monks.
5. Loy Krathong – Diwali (not with crackers but lamps)6. Songkran Festival – “Songkran” signifies the sun’s move into the first house of the zodiac. In India, we call it Ugadi.
Other Influences
The religious, cultural, linguistic, and cultural traditions of Thailand and South India are all evidence of the significant and long-lasting linkages that exist between the two countries. These common origins honour the harmonious mixing of two historic civilisations, which in turn fosters mutual respect and admiration between the two different cultures.
Lesser Known Facts
- 80 per cent of people in Thailand are unaware that they contain genes that are associated with Dravidians or South Indians.
- The Thai custom of referring to each king of the current Chakri dynasty as Rama and naming him by an ordinal number, such as Rama I, Rama II, and so on, is still followed today.
- According to King Ashoka, Buddhism was disseminated throughout Thailand. The Hindu-Buddhist religion is practised by 58,000,000 Thai people, which is an astounding 94% of the total population of Thailand.
- The Dravidians and South Indians are the originators of the dark and wheat characteristics of the Thai people. During the Sukhothai period (1275–1350), most of the blending operations took place.
- The first group of Indian Brahmans to reach Siam, before establishing Sukhothai as the first capital of Siam (1275–1350), was responsible for popularising Hindu ideas and rituals.
There are many more similarities between Thailand & South India. If you know any more similarities then comment below.
