Thais flock to gather lucky grains at royal plowing ceremony

BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) – Throngs of people and farmers witnessing the annual royal plowing ceremony at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang rushed to the ceremonial field to collect scattered rice seeds, which are believed to be auspicious. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony, which is an ancient Brahminical rite, presided by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn took place on Friday at Sanam Luang ceremonial ground, to mark the start of the new rice-growing season in Thailand. During the event, the plowing lord, performed bythe permanent secretary of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, threw rice grains across the ceremonial ground as part of the ceremony. The crowd was then allowed to keep the grains as tokens of good luck after the end of the ceremony. The lord also predicted from his selection of folded cloth that there will be enough water, a good rice harvest and an abundant food supply this year. Meanwhile, ัhe sacred oxen were presented with seven kinds of food -- rice, corn, green beans, sesame, fresh-cut grass, water, and rice whisky. They chose to eat paddy, maize and grass, leading to the prediction of an abundant food supply and moderately plentiful water. (TNA)