In the name of Doraemon, let there be rain!
The Thais believe that because cats are seen as being averse to rain, or water in general, the feline cries would bring down the rain.
In Hae Nang Maew (cat parade), farmers from central and north-east Thailand would parade cats before the planting season to hopefully invoke rain, which plays a crucial role in impacting their livelihood.
Over the last weekend of April, over 200 residents of the central province of Nakhon Sawan gathered to hopefully put an end to the prolonged drought that has been affecting crops.
Village headman Pongphan Kerdkham told Pattaya Mail that it had been 10 years since the last Hae Nang Maew was held. Traditionally, the parade cats had silver-blue fur, which was believed to resemble clouds.
This year, thanks to better awareness of animal welfare, no cats were used in the parade.
Instead, the villagers used the likeness of a cat that is more magical than the regular feline – Doraemon soft toys.
Created by Japanese manga artist Hiroshi Fujimoto, Doraemon is a robotic cat that travels back in time from the 22nd century to help a boy named Nobita.
In the Hae Nang Maew in Nakhon Sawan, Doraemon soft toys were carried in cages decorated with flower garlands. There were singing and dancing as the cages were paraded from village to village. The procession passed through houses, where the caged "cats" were blessed with splashes of water.
The provincial meteorological department forecast thunderstorms from May 1 to 4.
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