Phallic Shrine

One of the main attractions for visiting Hindu tourists is the Phallic Shrine, which houses carved lingams representing the popular Hindu god Shiva. Also found here are objects depicting the yoni (the female counterpart), alongside the phallic statues, images, or carvings. But in Buddhist cultures like Thailand, it’s certainly out of the ordinary to see symbols like this displayed in public. In fact, Thailand is known for its conservative approach to sex; even nude figures are rarely seen in Thai art. This makes Bangkok’s Phallic Shrine one-of-a-kind.

Situated a short walk from the city’s elegant Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, the colourful shrine is dedicated to the Fertility Goddess Chao Mae Tubtim. Local Thai women come here to offer gifts such as lotus flowers, when they want to conceive a child. Since superstitions are central to Thai culture, much significance is placed on the shrine’s ability to influence conception. If the women do conceive successfully, they come back and offer a new phallus to the shrine in gratitude. To date, there are over a hundred phallic statues of various sizes.