Temple decorates Matsu statue for rainmaking ritual
By Hsieh Chieh-yu
and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Tainan’s Orthodox Luermen Shengu Temple (正統鹿耳門聖母廟) decked out its Matsu statue in a new costume, with a litter and porter, for a rainmaking ritual at Nantou County’s Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) this weekend.
The statute of the goddess, affectionately known as Kaji Ma (開基媽), was shown sitting on a special woven rattan throne wearing a visored hat and robe on top of a covered rattan litter in a photograph.
Wang Ming-yi (王明義), head of the temple, on Thursday said that temple administrators were informed by the goddess via divination that a rainmaking ritual must be performed.