Thai villagers put Doraemon soft toy in cage for rain-making ritual instead of real cat

Thai villagers use Doraemon plushie in rain-making ritual instead of real cat

Thailand has been grappling with a severe heat wave recently — in April, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius in 26 provinces, according to data from the Thai Meteorological Department.

In a bid to bring an end to a prolonged drought, residents from three villages in Thailand’s Nakhon Sawan province gathered to hold a rain-making ritual.

However, instead of using the traditional live cat, they substituted it with a Doraemon soft toy.

Cat Parading Ceremony is tradition among Thai farmers

Doraemon is a time-travelling cat from the popular Japanese manga and anime of the same name.

The unusual adaptation of the Thai ritual went viral after Dr Tarin Clanuwat, a research scientist from Japan’s Waseda University, posted a clip of the ceremony on X.

According to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, the Hae Nang Maew or Cat Parading Ceremony is a time-honoured tradition among Thai farmers.

Central to the ceremony is the cat, revered for its believed ability to summon rain with its cry when splashed with water.

Many netizens approved of the plush toy substitute as it spares a real feline from distress.

Yet, questions arose regarding the ritual’s authenticity as it typically involves a female cat.

Doraemon, on the other hand, is male.

“They should’ve used Dorami instead,” remarked a news anchor from JKN18’s Top News.

Amidst the debate, many found humour in the fact that people focused more on the plushie’s gender than the fact that it was merely a toy.

Many Doraemon shrines in Thailand

The recent Hae Nang Maew Ceremony isn’t the first instance of Thais incorporating Doraemon into religious customs.

Doraemon dolls adorn several shrines across Thailand, including one on Surawong Road in Bangkok.

According to a Facebook post by the Embassy of Japan in Thailand, worshippers visit these shrines to make wishes.

When their wishes come true, they present Doraemon dolls as offerings.

Traditionally, people offered wooden elephants or zebras at these shrines, but we think this is a much cuter alternative.

Also read: White Cat In China Emerges From Pigment Factory With Blue Fur, Gets Dubbed Doraemon

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Featured image courtesy of @tkasasagi on X and @pinweena_pin_ on X.