Others were unable to hold back their tears when they saw with their own eyes what had happened.

Hundreds of believers continued to visit the shrine yesterday, their faith unshaken by the statue's destruction.

Early yesterday morning a man with a record of mental illness smashed the Great Brahma statue to pieces with a hammer.

The shrine's gate was shut and a cloth was draped over the shrine where the statue once stood, but crowds gathered on the footpath outside and left garlands hanging from the fence as they paid their respects.

Signs at the gate read: "The Erawan Shrine is temporarily closed. We apologise for any inconvenience." The message was also printed in Chinese for the many Chinese tourists who visit the shrine each day.

A small photograph of the statue was pinned to the fence.

Staff took every offering left outside the shrine inside.

Officials, many from the Cultural Ministry, gathered at the shrine for a special ceremony that continued into the night.

"It's hard to believe it happened," said Viranya Aiemcharoen, who visited the shrine with her family in the morning after learning of the incident. "My heart is filled with sorrow, so I came to pay respect to the gods again," she said.

Members of her family often asked for blessings at the shrine and were devastated by the statue's destruction, Viranya said.

Patsalin Sritan, a sales clerk, said she rushed to the shrine after a motorcycle taxi driver told her what had happened.

"I feel sorry for all Thais because the statue was much revered by Buddhists," she said.

Garland vendor Pinkaew Pipat-asa said people started arriving at about 4am to pay their tribute. She immediately phoned her friends then rushed to the scene.

"I was shocked and my heart was broken ... I am a second-generation garland seller here, I've been here for about 40 years," she said.

During the past four decades she had only stopped selling garlands at the shrine twice - during the political uprisings in October 1973 and May 1992, she said.

Besides garland sellers, there are another 10 booths near the shrine selling lottery tickets and fruit. The vendors intend to remain at the site.

The spirits would remain even though the statue was smashed, they said.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot

The Nation