Thai woman repays temple with pig heads & boiled eggs
Many Thais will seek divine intervention to help them with monumental tasks they believe require tons of luck. This will most commonly include winning the lottery or passing an exam. But when Thais make a wish at a temple, they will usually return with offerings to repay the spirits if their desires come true.
One Thai woman in particular, did just that recently. After her wish – which involved selling a piece of land – was finally granted, she returned to the temple to give thanks. This time with 199 pig heads and 199 boiled eggs among other gifts in tow.
Keep reading to find out why she made that wish and how her offering was received by the temple.
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A wish-granting temple in Nakhon Pathom
As our story goes, one Thai woman sought out a highly revered temple to help solve her inability to sell off a piece of land for a long time at Wat Klang Bang Phra (วัดกลางบางพระ) in Nakhon Pathom – a temple that’s famous for its effective wish-granting.
Many devout believers typically come to pray to Luang Por Som Wang (หลวงพ่อสมหวัง) or literally the “Wish Fulfillment Father”, to have their wishes fulfilled.
Image credit: Nakhonpathom.Travel
And indeed, after a prayerful visit, the lady finally had her wish fulfilled. Apparently, her transaction netted her millions of baht during the sale. That would explain why she made her way back to the temple to repay the favour.
Giving back to the temple with pig heads & boiled eggs
But the bigger the wish, the bigger the repayment. This lady went above and beyond, to say the least, by preparing 199 pig heads and 199 boiled eggs as an offering to the sacred Buddha statue.
Image credit: Khaosod
The offerings were then blessed by a monk through holy water and prayer.
Image credit: Khaosod
And if you’re wondering why a large tribute of pig heads and chicken eggs were selected, that’s because these offerings are seen as “good luck” for many Thais.
For the uninitiated who’ve ever spotted zebra and chicken statues near spirit houses around Bangkok, they’re also probably offerings from those who’ve made wishes at these shrines.
Just like in this case, you can usually tell how revered a spirit house is by how many offerings have been made there.
Try Thai-style wishes for a change
So next time you have a wish you want granted, consider giving the Thai way a try.
Make your wish at a local spirit house and tell the spirit what you’ll be offering in return for the wish. While the most popular choices are boiled eggs, you may have your own offering that will please the spirits.
But remember to come back and make that offering if your wish is granted, or take heed in case said spirit gets on your case for not being grateful.
Cover images adapted from (Clockwise from Top Left): Nakhonpathom.Travel, Khaosod
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