Annual Wat Phra That Phanom festival unites Thai and Lao devotees
Auspicious incense number prompts lottery rush among attendees
Excitement surrounds the upcoming festival at Wat Phra That Phanom in Nakhon Phanom province, as the sacred site prepares for the annual ceremony set to commence tomorrow, on January 26.
The event, which will run until February 3, unites devotees from Thailand and Laos in a nine-day and nine-night tribute.
At the heart of the preparations, Police Colonel Doctor Manus Nonuch, chairman of the Miracle of Life Foundation, led a solemn ritual to seek forgiveness from Phra That Phanom ahead of the sacred festival.
The ceremony, joined by Phra Khru Sri Phanom Khun, assistant abbot of Wat Phra That Phanom, and Jakarin Bowornchai, director of the One Heart for the People project, involved a grand offering table adorned with a seven-headed, seven-coloured Naga throne and other traditional offerings.
Brahmin Doctor Yutthapong Majwiset, a renowned ceremonial practitioner, presided over the ritual, invoking divine guardians and the protective Nagas of Phra That Phanom.
Following the reading of sacred scriptures, Manus and his team lit nine auspicious candles and presented offerings to the revered stupa, seeking blessings for the event’s success and the safe arrival of pilgrims by land and water.
The ceremony witnessed a graceful performance by 19 dancers, honouring the largest stupa in northeastern Thailand. Attendees included devotees who participated in writing their names on yellow cloths prepared by the temple, followed by a procession around the stupa three times, draping the sacred cloth over it.
A noteworthy moment during the ritual was the appearance of the number 536 on a ceremonial incense stick, sparking interest among attendees.
The number quickly became a talking point on social media as people captured and shared images and videos of the incense on the offering table.
The excitement led to a rush for lottery tickets featuring combinations of the numbers 53, 35, 63, 36, 65, and 56, which sold out rapidly at stalls outside the temple.
On January 26 at 7.30am, a religious procession will raise Phra Upakut from the Mekong River‘s navel, symbolising protection for the event.
Later at 3.30pm, Mongkol Surasajja, the Senate chairman, will officially inaugurate the festival, as reported by KhaoSod.
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