Elephant, Naga-Shaped Leaves Lure Lotto Lovers (Photos)

A coconut tree’s leaves shaped like a naga serpent Thursday in Surin province.

SURIN — With the bi-monthly lottery results coming out Saturday, as of Thursday residents of an Isaan province are turning to fauna-shaped flora for lucky numbers.

Young and old alike flocked to two magically-shaped coconut trees in the northeastern province since Thursday after news spread that leaves on two coconut trees were shaped in the form of the mythical naga serpent.

At Wat Nong Ma in Samrong Thap district, people offered the tree incense, fruit, soda and garlands hoping for extra luck. Some saw the number 47 in the leaves’ lining, others saw 50 or 250.

People also gathered in 65-year-old Mon Aengsook’s house in the same district for a coconut tree with leaves shaped like elephant tusks.

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“Right before I found my tree like this, I had a dream I was hugging a woman, but I didn’t think much of it,” Mon said Thursday. “When I woke up and was digging a hole to plant chilies in by the pond, I saw that the coconut tree my son had planted five years ago had a branch shaped like elephant tusks.”

Mon ran to tell his neighbors, and the word spread. Locals hailed to his house to with offerings of incense and betel to rub a bit of luck off the leafy elephant tusks.

According to local animist, Buddhist and cultural beliefs, spotting elephants or seeings signs of naga are auspicious.

Locals gather around to photograph a palm tree with a branch shaped in the form of a naga serpent.
Offerings to the naga coconut leaf at Wat Nong Ma in Samrong Thap district, Surin.
The supposedly naga-shaped palm leaf.
Surin residents examine the naga-shaped leaves.
Locals gather around the tusk-shaped coconut tree leaf.
A woman touches the palm growth shaped like an elephant’s tusks in Mon Aengsook’s house in Surin province.
The elephant tusk-shaped coconut tree growth at Mon Aengsook’s house in Surin.

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