WITH the heatwave gripping Asia, it is not surprising to find those praying for relief from the scorching heat.
Thailand has recently gone viral for their modern take to a traditional ceremony to bring about the rain.
A viral post on X by @sighyam showed several individuals partaking in the Hae Nang Maew ceremony, with two men carrying a cage on both ends housing the famous animated character Doraemon stuffed toy instead of a live cat, according to tradition.
The act of replacing the live animal with the stuffed toy and has sparked concern over the legitimacy of the ceremony as the cat used is typically female and that Doraemon is a male feline character, said the X user who shared several news clips of the event.
Matichon Online reported that the ceremony was held in the Phayuha Khiri district and the Khao Kala sub-district in the central region.
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In the Phayuha Khiri district, 200 people had reportedly participated in the Hae Nang Maew ceremony in hopes to have rainfall hit the area.
One of the village leaders in the Khao Kala sub-district said that the ceremony had not been conducted for 10 years and the villagers decided to revive back the tradition to boost morale in the community and also as a way to combat the drought issue that had occurred this year.
In the report, it was said that the ceremony had to be performed in the evening or night and not during the daytime as they would not be able to combat the extreme heat during that time.
The Hae Nang Maew ceremony is a rain-invoking ceremony typically held in the northern, central and northeastern regions of Thailand and the most important part of the ceremony is the live female cat that is usually “cloud-coloured” or black as they are believed to bring good luck, according to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre website.
During the ceremony, the cat is placed in a bamboo basket or cage and paraded around with a procession playing music and singing joined by the surrounding people – also reciting “rain-making verses” such as ‘tao mae nang maew or ‘hae nang maew’, which means the “parading of a female cat”, as quoted from the website.
During the parade, the cat is then splashed with water which causes it to meow, with its cry believed to be symbolically pleading for the clouds to break and let the rain come forth. However, there are some who also choose to pour water to others partaking in the ceremony.
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