The excitement surrounding the opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is not limited to Indians. Thailand has supplied distinctive soil for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya this time. Ayutthya, a city 3,500 kilometers away from Ayodhya, is where the soil is being brought.
Prior to the official opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024, Thailand is donating special soil to the Ramjanmabhoomi. Three hundred and fifty kilometers separate the city of Ayutthaya from Ayodhya, where the soil is being sent.
Thailand’s Ayutthaya, the capital and economic hub of the Kingdom of Siam, was thought to have been founded in the thirteenth century.
On the other hand, this is not the first time that Thailand has sent something similar to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It comes after the previous gesture for the Ram temple, when some water was sent from two rivers in Thailand. This action is a result of the special cultural ties that exist between Thailand and India and will only become stronger in the future.
India and Thailand have strong cultural and historical ties, according to Swami Vigyanananand, founder and global chairman of the World Hindu Foundation (WHF). Additionally, he mentioned that a number of Thai kings are descended from Lord Ram. It is an ancient custom here, he explained, for every king to have the title of Ram in their name. Swami ji stated, “We have identified 51 countries that will witness Lord Ram’s consecration at Ayodhya.” Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is home to a rich Hindu cultural legacy.
The chief organizer of the World Hindu Congress, Swami Vigyanananand, announced that the event will be broadcast live from Bangkok and that Hindus will be gathering there to participate in kirtans, bhajans, pujas, and recitations, among other activities.
He continued, saying, We have placed an order for the blessings (parsad) from Ayodhya. Here, a precise copy of the Ayodhya temple has been constructed. We have also brought a picture of Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram Lalla. All of the delegates will receive copies of the picture.
Relationship between Ayutthaya and Lord Rama: Ayutthaya’s kings were referred to as “Ramatibodhi” (“Lord Rama”). The Ramayana mentions Ayodhya as the capital of Lord Rama, and this has been connected to Ayutthaya. The capital of the Siamese kings since 1351 AD, Ayutthaya, was plundered and nearly destroyed by Burmese forces in 1767.
Similar to the Thai Ramayana, the religious text known as Ramkeen is recognized in Thailand. Ramanujan, the author of “300 Ramayanas, “has drawn comparisons between Valmiki’s Ramayana and Ramkeenith’s. The primary antagonist of this book, Thotsakan, is comparable to the Lankan king Ravana of the Hindu text, and it is thought to have been written entirely from scratch by King Rama I in the eighteenth century. Phra Ram, the protagonist of this book, embodies the ideal of Ram.
Thailand and India have deeper cultural affinities.
That is not the end of the cultural parallels between Thailand and India. In Thailand, the “Loy Krathong” festival is observed as the festival of lights, which is comparable to India’s Diwali, just as Kartik Purnima and Dev Diwali are observed in India. Across the nation, people celebrate this important Thai holiday with great fervor. Lord Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Indra idols are set up in conspicuous locations for public worship during this time.
