The Garuda as a national symbol of Thailand
Garuda decorated on the wall of Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok
The Garuda is the national symbol of Thailand. In Thai it is called Phra Khrut Pha, which you could literally translate as "Garuda as the vehicle" (of Vishnu). The Garuda was officially adopted as the national symbol by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) in 1911. The mythical creature had been used as a symbol of royalty in Thailand for centuries before that.
The Garuda, known as 'Krut' in Thai, is a mythical creature that figures prominently in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. It is a bird-like creature, often depicted with the body of a man and the wings and beak of an eagle. Garuda is known as the king of birds and the enemy of the Nagas, a race of serpent creatures. This symbolizes the eternal battle between good and evil.
mythology
The Garuda is a mythological beast of the Hindu and Buddhist tradition. According to Hindu mythology, the Garuda is the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu (more commonly known in Thailand as Narayana). The ancient kings of Thailand believed in divine kingship and considered themselves the incarnation of the god Narayana. The Garuda is the symbol of the king's divine power and authority.
The Garuda
According to mythology, the Garuda is a hybrid creature of half man and half bird. In art, the Garuda is often depicted as having the head, beak, wings and talons of an eagle, while its torso is like that of a human.
In the book Traiphum Phra Ruang, a Thai Buddhist literary work of the 14th century, the Garuda is described as having a body that is 150 yojanas (yojana is the equivalent of 1,6 kilometers) long, its wingspan 150 yojanas, and its tail 60 yojanas long.
With its physical strength and martial prowess, the Garuda is considered the most powerful of all winged creatures, it is the king of all birds, living in the . legendary Himavanta forest lives. In descriptions of the Garuda, emphasis is placed on his righteous and merciful deeds.
According to the Mahabharata, the Garuda was so strong that no god could defeat it in battle. The Hindu god Vishnu was greatly impressed by the skills of the Garuda and made him immortal. Thereafter, the Garuda became the 'vahana' or vehicle of Vishnu by which he allowed himself to be transported to different heavens. .
Garuda's relationship with Vishnu or Narayana is particularly important. The teachings of ancient Thai royalty were heavily influenced by those of India. Therefore, the king was nothing less than an 'avatar' or incarnation of God, just as King Rama of the epic Ramayana was the incarnation of Narayana. Thus, the god Narayana and the Garuda became the accepted symbol of divine and sacred kingship in ancient Thailand.
Official emblem
The Garuda is nowadays used by the king on, for example, letters and other documents, but also in flags and banners. The emblem can also be seen on the letterhead of almost all Thai government documents.
The figure of the Garuda is used as a symbol of state ownership and is displayed as such on government buildings, banknotes, border markers and on the uniforms of the Thai police and armed forces.
Private use
Companies may use the Garuda emblem if they have obtained permission to do so through special merit. If that permission is granted through a Royal Warrant, the company may display images of the Garuda on their premises, on letterheads and even on their articles. In this case, one can compare with the Dutch predicate “Koninklijk” (Royal).
Source: Phuket Gazette and Wikipedia
I thought Garuda belongs to Indonesia
Me too, just think of the Indonesian national airline “Garuda Indonesia”.
Very recently a post about Thai fonts appeared on this blog. I also responded to that with the reference to the Garuda font.
Yes John, us too.
We then bought a beautiful Garuda in Indonesia.
We also thought that this belonged to Indonesia.
LOUIS
The Garuda is the only creature that may be depicted above the king.
The Garuda is also the one who takes the king to the afterlife.
Ruud Greve writes in 'Garuda. Facts and legends about Garuda and other mythical birds: Garuda is often found in Asia as a symbol of the sun, loyalty and strength. Yet this bird is not worshiped. This only happens in combination with Wishnu.
There is only one immortal Garuda, the true king of the birds and the bearer of Wishnu. Symbol of sun and sky. Rightly chosen as the national symbol of the Republic of Indonesia.'
The coat of arms of the State of Indonesia. This Garuda has seventeen feathers on each wing, a tail with eight feathers and forty-five scales. From this the date 17.8.1945 can be read. On that day, the country's independence was declared. On the chest of the Eagle is a shield on which the five principles of the philosophy of the state are symbolically depicted.
Garuda in aviation. Due to the naval blockade of the Dutch during the independence struggle, the islands were not connected to each other. There was only one Dakota in operation, attempting to break through the blockade. Few airlines have experienced such a dramatic beginning.
In 1984, the airline officially got its current name 'Garuda Indonesia' with the emblem of the king of birds.
The Garuda logo: the head of the Eagle with five colored stripes, representing the wings. The emblem of the solar eagle, which flies over land and sea and observes everything with its sharp eyes.
I regularly buy belt buckles with the garuda custom made at a shop near bajoke skytower pratunam district in Bkk, they are beautiful gold with chrome, for less than 200 bht, but I would also like to know which government agencies use them
It's a pity that the writer/translator of this piece calls GARUDA a mythological beast.
Garuda deserves a little respect who carries the God VISHNU. Thailand will certainly appreciate Garuda, especially if the kings in Thailand are called Rama. Garuda has tried with all his might to save SITA , the consort of Lord RAMA from the hands of the Demon King Rawana, (read in Ramayana)
The "Churning of the Ocean" in the departure hall of Suvarnabhumi Airport is another proof of how Thailand's culture and tradition are linked to Hinduism.
Cambodia also owes its ANKOR WAT to the kings of India who were in power at that time and built this VISHNU TEMPEl, the largest on this planet.
The roots of Indonesia lie in Hinduism.
Current Indonesia with the majority of Muslims have shown respect for Garuda and not qualified as a beast.
I as a HINDU have not been able to appreciate this.
Unfortunately, very few Westerners are interested in the mythology of Ancient India (Bharat).
Everything about Indian mythology is written in the Vedas, Ramayan and Mahabharat. Because everything is written in Sanskrit, the ancient and learned rishis have extensively described the mythological life of each Hindu God in separate books.
This is how these mythological books came into being:
– Brahma Puran, about the life of God Brahma.
– Vishnu Puran, about the life of God Vishnu
– Shiv Puran, about the life of God Shiva