Sacred oxen predict bountiful harvest for new Thai king
THAILAND'S new King Maha Vajiralongkorn attended an annual ploughing ceremony today where sacred oxen predicted a bountiful harvest, auguring well for the world's second largest rice exporter's hopes of selling more this year.
The King attended the royal ploughing ceremony
The royal ploughing ceremony is an ancient Brahminical rite which heralds the start of the new rice growing season.
Broadcast on national television, the rite is celebrated in Thailand as a holiday for state employees. Thailand is the world's second-largest rice exporter and the grain is a staple food in the Southeast Asian country.
King Vajiralongkorn was accompanied by his eldest daughter as he presided over the ceremony, during which oxen draped in red and gold circled a ceremonial ground nine times.
King Vajiralongkorn was accompanied by his eldest daughter
This year there will be enough water, and grains, fruits, food, meat will be abundant
The number nine is considered a very lucky number in Thailand where it is pronounced "Gao" which rhymes with a word meaning to move forward or progress.
A similar ceremony was held in neighbouring Cambodia watched by King Norodom Sihamoni. There, royal oxen predicted a good harvest this year for rice, bean and corn.
The ancient Brahminical rite heralds the start of the rice growing season
In Thailand, Thanit Anekwit, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, read the prediction after the ceremony, which marks the start of the new rice-planting season.
"This year there will be enough water, and grains, fruits, food, meat will be abundant," Thanit said.
The rite is celebrated in Thailand as a holiday for state employees
"There will be ample rice in the fields."
In the deeply superstitious country, an auspicious start to the harvest season will be seen by some as a good omen for the new king's reign.