Crowds Gather for Buddha Image Casting Ceremony as Heavy Storm Strikes—Lucky Numbers from Sacred Ritual Revealed
Thousands of devotees gathered at a Phetchabun temple on April 26 for a Buddha image casting ceremony blessed by senior monks, undeterred by heavy rain and windstorms that struck during the ritual. Lottery enthusiasts later interpreted sacr
On April 26, 2569, at Wat Mai Samakkhi in Huai Pong subdistrict, Nong Pai district, Phetchabun province—commonly known as Wat Luang Por Ham Jon—a ceremony was held to cast a replica Buddha image of Luang Por Ham Jon. The ritual received blessings from Phra Brahm Vachiranuvatara, a member of the Great Mahathera Association and advisor to the Central Region ecclesiastical council, who served as the head of the monastic delegation. Also attending were Phra Tham Sutti, Phra Thepratanakorn, and Phra Raj Atchara Thammametthi, abbot of Wat Mahathat Luang Aramaram and provincial ecclesiastical chief for Phetchabun. Notable attendees included Ajcharya Phan Mun, director of the Phetchabun Provincial Buddhist Office; Nath Suraschadee, an artist from Wonderland music label and 18-time champion; and thousands of Buddhist devotees.
The ceremony began at 1:09 p.m. with Khun Mae Phismai Bunlikkhit, chairwoman of the lay delegation, lighting incense and candles to pay respects to the Triple Gem. The monks chanted Buddhist sutras, with Phra Brahm Vachiranuvatara blessing the image. During the ritual, a powerful summer windstorm brought heavy rain, yet the faithful remained undeterred and stayed until the ceremony concluded. Afterward, Phra Raj Atchara Thammametthi extinguished the ceremonial candles, scattered blessed rice and flowers over the Buddha image, and sprinkled sacred water in blessing.
According to Phra Kru Plad Pariyatti Watthan, assistant abbot of Wat Mahathat Luang Aramaram and ecclesiastical director of Wat Mai Samakkhi, the image was commissioned after two women from Khon Kaen province prayed to Luang Por Ham Jon for help selling their land. After their prayers, the land sold within days, prompting them to commission this replica image to be paraded during Songkran festival celebrations. The temple also created a commemorative image that was blessed during the casting ceremony and made available for veneration, with donations supporting the construction of a new ordination hall currently underway.
Lottery enthusiasts gathered after the ceremony to interpret numbers from the sacred ritual, with various participants seeing numbers such as 79 and 76 as lucky digits for the May 2 drawing.
