The Thai spirit house
The spirit house can be seen at a prominent spot outside every business establishment in the country. It can be seen on a pedestal in front of every hotel. It dresses the corner garden area of a restaurant, the front of a bar, disco or put spirit houses are even seen at outdoor food markets. They are built on the grounds of Buddhist temples, outside caves in the mountains, near fishing ponds in the valleys, and occasionally in the middle of an otherwise uninhabited forest. Most important thing, however, the Thai Spirit House is built at the yard of every home.
The purpose of the spirit house is to provide an appealing shelter for the spirits, or celestial beings, who would otherwise reside in the heavens, find a place in large trees, or in caves, cliffs, waterfalls or other natural surroundings. According to folklore, the spirits themselves are either good or evil, but most are just finicky and mischievous, demanding respect from humans and capable of disastrous interferences if they don’t get their way, the spirit of the land, for example, expects to be informed when a human intends to start a business or engage in improvements to an existing business. If the spirit is not informed, and if the human does not respectfully request permission, the spirit can indeed cause the venture to fail.
The style and construction of a spirit house may be as simple as a typical Thai- style shelter or as elaborate as a Thai palace. The exact style often depends on two Factors, which spirit the person wishes to invite and how much one can afford for the spirit house construction. Construction itself is a specialized field and only an expert spirit house builder would be considered for proper construction. His responsibility, in addition to construction, is to be familiar with all the necessary rituals involved so that the spirit to be invited will find it an acceptable earthly abode.
The house may be permanent or temporary, made of wood, concrete or brick. At certain times the spirits are invited down only for special occasions and this is when temporary spirits house are built. The size may vary from the very small to a large, walk- in, ground- level affair. The houses are finished with statues, small figures, or symbols of many other sorts in the center within the spirit houses. In addition, there may be various animal figures, such as elephants or hones; figures of people, such as a married couple or other images; and even furniture. Outside, around the balcony that usually surrounds a spirit house, incense holders, candle sticks, and vases for flowers are placed.
Offerings to a spirit house and the spirit who is intended to reside within can be nearly anything. The traditional offering include flower garlands, betel leaves, bananas, rice, chicken, duck, and a wide range of other edibles and non- edibles. Candles are often used while incense is usually lit daily before a spirit house.
The spirit house is one of the most fundamental features of Thai life even today and it is easily the most obvious. In Thailand devotion to Buddhism most often shows itself in ritual within a temple while Thai devotion to the spirits and especially the Guardians of the land and the most often shows itself in their own front yards.