Shrine Crowds Seek Blessings Before Lottery Draw
Devotees flocked to Rishi Monastery in Ayutthaya on August 15 to seek blessings and divine luck before the lottery draw, with some examining candle wax patterns in blessed water hoping to divine winning numbers.
On August 15, 2569, reporters documented the bustling atmosphere at Rishi Monastery, Dhatu Buddha Kun in Tambon Po Taeng, Bang Thai District, Ayutthaya Province—a well-known spiritual tourist destination. Throughout the day, locals and visitors continuously paid respects to sacred shrines seeking blessings, spiritual merit, and good fortune. The monastery grounds featured multiple sacred sites for worship, including a nine-faced Phra Vessuwan statue standing 16 meters tall, the shrine of Mae Takhian, Phra Phikhaneswar, Phra Sangkachai, Luang Pho Mi, Chindamani Cave, and the Golden Child statue of Jao Sua Heng. Devotees brought offerings including pumpkins, red water, snacks, toys, bicycles, and rice.
Many visitors also participated in ceremonies led by the monastery's rishi monks, including the ritual of opening the fortune's golden face, anointing the hands, and bathing in blessed water for auspiciousness, prosperity, career advancement, and business success. Former leading actress Mae Duang Kaew, mother of actors Sarama and Nam Petch from the Sarama-Nam Petch ensemble, donated 150 kilograms of rice and drinking water to the monastery, continuing her regular devotional visits.
At the merit pavilion near the grandfather rishi's shrine, many lottery hopefuls examined drops of red candle wax appearing in the blessing water, attempting to discern lottery numbers. Clusters of numbers including 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 were observed. These numbers represent only what devotees personally perceived from the candle wax droplets according to individual belief and do not constitute any official lottery result confirmation.
