To celebrate the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Fine Arts Department is hosting a special exhibition, "Feminine Deities: Buddhism, Hinduism And Indigenous Cults In Thailand", at the National Museum Bangkok. The objective is to disseminate knowledge about faith and beliefs relating to women in Thailand through the ages via religious sculptures.
The exhibition is divided into four parts — Goddesses: Traditional Beliefs From The Past; Goddesses In Brahmanism-Hinduism: The Supreme Power Of Females; Female Deities In Buddhism: The Power Of Intellect; and Goddesses In Traditional Beliefs: The Power Of Nature.
The first section shows that people have believed in the existence of goddesses since prehistoric times. Goddesses are believed to have supernatural powers, which allow them to control aspects of nature. Accordingly, people believe that they can indirectly influence nature by worshipping goddesses. The Mother Goddess or Earth Goddess is believed to be responsible for the fertility of women and their natural mothering instincts. Sculptures of women produced by ancient civilisations in Europe, Asia, America and Africa provide evidence of the widespread belief in the power of goddesses and the high status of women at that time. Their most notable features are their large hips (signifying the ability to give birth) and breasts (signifying the ability to nurture). Even in the present day, goddesses are still widely worshipped by followers of certain religions.
In Thailand, people in ancient civilisations here believed that females were endowed with magical power because females give birth and have natural mothering instincts. Art objects with female symbolism was produced in order to pay respect to women and goddesses, and to ensure that nature continued to provide for them. The belief in the power of females in Thailand became prominent when Hinduism and Buddhism spread to the Indochina Peninsula as goddesses feature heavily in these religions.
A highlight in the first section is an earthenware pot with breasts dating back 3,800-4,000 years from the Nong Ratchawat site in Nong Ya Sai district, Suphan Buri, which was used for a burial ritual. Interestingly, the pot was smashed into small pieces by ritual performers and sprinkled on the ground as a bed for dead bodies, meaning mothers' wombs in the world after death.
In the second and third parts of the exhibition, visitors will find out that when Buddhism and Brahmanism-Hinduism were spread to the region, which was called Suvarnabhumi, more people worshipped female deities due to the combination of original beliefs and the worship of female deities in various religions from India.
Evidence in the form of art objects suggests that the belief in goddesses in Brahmanism and Hinduism was brought to Thailand during the 5th-8th centuries and has continued through the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods until present. Shaktism focuses on the worship of Shakti or Devi. Durga is the goddess of power and strength, Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and fortune, Saraswati the goddess of music, arts, wisdom and learning. The three goddesses help the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to create, maintain and regenerate the universe respectively.
The second section shows several sculptures of three Hindu goddesses reflecting the power of females, such as that of Parvarti, or Uma, the wife of god Shiva, dating to the Sukhothai Period, that of goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity and the wife of god Vishnu, dating to the Ayutthaya Period, and that of Saraswati of the Lopburi Period. The third part shows that the status of females in Buddhism was elevated significantly with the emergence of Tantrayana, or Vajrayana Buddhism, in the 9th century. Tantarayana Buddhism contains a belief that gods, goddesses, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas come in different forms and specific offerings should be made to them. Meanwhile, the worship of female deities in Mahayana Buddhism was popular in Srivijaya culture in the Malay Peninsula during the 7th-12th centuries and later in Khmer culture in the 12th century, and then spread to Thailand.
On display are the statues of Prajnaparamita, the Bodhisattvadevi in Mahayana Buddhism who provides knowledge, dating to the Lopburi Period, those of the eight-armed Tara, the bodhisattvadevi in Mahayana Buddhism as the guardian of people who worship, dating to the Srivijaya Period.
The fourth section called "Goddesses In Traditional Beliefs: The Power Of Nature" features sculptures of local goddesses, such as the Earth Goddess, Thai Rice Goddess, Mae Sue (guardian spirit of a newborn baby), as well as a Thai manuscript about Mae Sue.
Traditional Thai society is based on agriculture and good harvests depend largely on nature. Since ancient times, Thais have tried to indirectly influence nature by worshipping goddesses who personify nature. Thais believe that goddesses are the source of all fertility in nature and also in humans. Though the arrival of Buddhism and Hinduism in Thailand did not replace the belief in spirits (animism), these religions influenced how spirits were worshipped.
In all, this exhibition is worth a visit since it reflects the power of women and fits the special occasion for Thai people who wish to honour one of their beloved princesses.
The exhibition, "Feminine Deities: Buddhism, Hinduism And Indigenous Cults In Thailand", is on display until July 26. Open Wednesday-Sunday (except official holidays), 9am-4pm at Itsara Winitchai Hall, the National Museum Bangkok. Admission fee is 30 baht for Thais and 200 baht for foreigners. Call 02-224-1333.
Nang Kwak.
Lakshmi.
