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Hanuman sitting in palace ruling human kingdom (Thai Ramayana Mural)
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- Unknown
- Location
- Bangkok, Thailand
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use
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A mural at the Emerald Buddha Temple shows Hanuman in his luxurious palace ruling a human kingdom.
Wearing golden clothes and a tall pointed Siamese crown, Hanuman sits cross-legged like a human king high on a palace veranda speaking to his followers who kneel and bow on the blue tile floor below.
A group of men wearing pants with blue, brown, or green spotted jackets kneel at left petitioning Hanuman. A group of monkeys in matching courtier tunics kneel and watch at right. The elegant veranda, pavillion, and tiled floor are similar to those painted for Rama’s palace.
In the Ramayana, Rama awards cities and outposts within his kingdom to Hanuman and the other monkey kings who helped recover Sita from the demon king Ravana. Eventually, Hanuman is too restless to live as a king ruling over a city of humans. He will return to the forest, and periodically assist Rama with other exploits and struggles against demons.
This image was photographed in August 1984.
