Novel Wish-Making Rituals: Case Study from Buddhist Thailand

In contemporary Thailand, wish making rituals are becoming more popular, and attract many visitors to temples. These rituals stand out because there is no monastic intervention needed. A case study in Chiang Mai city highlights the significance of such lay-led aspirational rituals. The Ganesh ritual at Wat Pa Daed is complex and intricate, requiring participants to follow multiple steps across the temple. For Thai Buddhists, the ritual offers a means to fulfill personal desires through the intervention of an unseen being in the Buddhist cosmos. By translating and analyzing the ritual’s detailed steps, interviewing the senior monk who designed it, and applying ritual theory and perspectives on popular religion, this presentation demonstrates how such practices hold value within the Buddhist landscape and adapt to modern, personalized religious environments.