Thailand to hold rites of five religions for blast victims

Thailand today said it will hold religious rites from five different faiths, including Hinduism and Sikhism, in memory of the 20 people who were killed in the devastating bombing at the popular Lord Brahma temple here.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will hold Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Sikh and Hindu rites at the Ratchaprasong Intersection where the open air shrine is located early tomorrow, said Supranee Satayaprakorb, director of the BMA's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.
Meanwhile, repairs to Brahma statue which was slightly damaged in Monday's bomb blast will begin soon.
Department inspectors from the Office of the Traditional Arts examined the damage to the shrine and statue this week and estimated repairs would take about two weeks.

The explosion that killed 20 people and wounded 123 caused minor damage to the Brahma statute, said Bovornvet Rungrujee, director-general Fine Arts Department.
The inspection has found the blast impacted the figure in 12 places. Only the chin was broken and a glass window at the shrine was damaged, Rungrujee said.

It is not necessary to move the statue from the shrine. Craftsmen will start repairs on Monday, he added.
Plaster will be used to patch the statue's face and other damaged parts.
Brahma temple, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangkok, was reopened yesterday for worshipers and tourists three days after the blast rocked the shrine.