Abandoned Shrines

Friday morning proved to be a peek into the part of Thailand's hidden culture. Emily and i ran to a dirt road, right off the main road from school; a line of forgotten, dirty, and broken shrines lay in disarray all along the ground. It was strange to see these shrines, what are all over the country, in front of every store and home, so elaborately decorated and carefully cared for, just strewn along and cast aside. Figurines decapitated and whole pieces broken off as the larger portion lay on it's side. All of these seemingly have been undisturbed for quite some time. Just beyond was a mini junk yard. Trash piled in heaps, little bits of tile, trash bags, colorful foam bits and everyday household garbage, right next to what is prayed to ritually for many of Thailand's people. Over to our right was what appeared to be a village that was never quite finished. Concrete floors and walls created the basics of a floor plan for a home that had no roof, holes for windows, and lots of shrubbery, the earth was reclaiming it's territory. I couldn't believe this site. Wouldn't it be considered bad karma to discard what is seen as sacred? Did these shrines in some way become houses for the dark, why where they left here and by whom? Overall it was just an odd collection of sites, each pinching it's way to being haunting; unsettling.