Page 75 - The Glory of Siam Night Museum

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ZONE 11
The Compassion of ‘Tao Hiran Phanasun’ พลังเมตตาจากท้าวหิรญัพนาสรู”
“The Protection of the Naga,
The Compassion of Thao Hiranbanasur”
Parts of the area to the north of the halls and residences up to the Samsen Canal
used to be a part of Dusit Thani, while others were originally wildlife gardens.
To the left is a hall that houses a statue of the Buddha Sheltered by Naga attitude, named “Phra Maha Naga Chinawon Waranusorn Mongkutraj”. This is the Palace’s main
Buddha image and was cast in 1989, based on the original statue cast by King Vajiravudh when he was ordained as a monk at Wat Bowonniwet Vihara in 1904. On the banks
of the Samsen Canal stands a shrine to Thao Hiranbanasur. King Vajirauvdh commanded the shrine’s construction in 1922. It was believed that Thao Hiranbanasur is a tutelary spirit that protected the monarch from harm during his journeys into the forest.
In the present day, both the Phra Maha Naga Chinawon Waranusorn Mongkutraj and
the shrine to Thao Hiranbanasur are the holy objects of Phya Thai Royal Palace
and Phramongkutklao Hospital and continue to be objects of constant veneration.
NIGHT MUSEUM