Phra Siam Devadhiraj ( th, พระสยามเทวาธิราช, ) is a

guardian deity A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a Nature spirit, spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concep ...

personifying supernatural protection over the country of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. The deity (''deva'', a

sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

origin word, sometimes translated as "god" or "angel") is represented by an idol enshrined in the Phaisan Thaksin Throne Hall of the

Grand Palace The Grand Palace ( th, พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Royal Institute of Thailand. (2011). ''How to read and how to write.'' (20th Edition). Bangkok: Royal Institute of Thailand. .) is a complex of buildings at the heart of Ban ...

. The statue, eight inches tall and made of solid gold, was commissioned by King

Mongkut Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

(Rama IV), probably around the years 1859–1860. It shows the ''deva'' in royal dress, holding a sword in the right hand and with the left hand at chest level in a blessing posture. The deity is worshipped in an annual private royal ceremony on the first waxing moon of the fifth Thai lunar month, which marks the traditional New Year in the Thai lunar calendar.

References

Thai deities Statues in Thailand Thai monarchy National personifications {{Thailand-stub

See also

References