Devotees Flock to Gild 99 Buddha Statues at Famous Temple in Nakhon Pathom, Hoping for Lottery Luck

On February 15th, Sawang Arom Temple in Nakhon Pathom Province hosted its 11th annual gilding ceremony for 99 Buddha statues, supporting 9 underprivileged temples across 9 provinces. The event, running from February 12th to March 8th, drew massive crowds of devotees eager to make merit and seek blessings. The temple was particularly vibrant, with visitors waiting in long lines to gild the 99 Buddha statues positioned around the ordination hall - a process taking up to 30 minutes to complete. Notably, the event featured a special attraction with the appearance of Guan Yu's spirit and a giant Buddha statue over two stories tall. One 63-year-old local resident, Suriya Saksupap, shared that she attends every year and has remarkably won the lottery each time after performing the gilding ritual. This year, she followed tradition by making offerings, tying red strings for blessings, and consulting the fortune sticks, ultimately receiving the numbers 9, 2, and 7.