Mae Po Sop (Thai: แม่โพสพ) or Po Sop is the Siamese rice goddess.[1]
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Ritual offerings (Cha-laew) are made to propitiate the Rice Goddess during the different steps of rice production. Villagers believe that Goddess Mae Po-sop ensures everyone has enough to eat.[2]
The iconographic representation of Mae Po Sop is of a beautiful woman wearing full jewelry and a red dress. She is in the sitting or standing position holding a harvested rice sheaf on her right shoulder. The iconography of this goddess is based in the Hindu goddess Sri Lakshmi, but its origins are local and more ancient[3].
In modern Thailand, paying homage to Pō-sop by rice farmers had been declining in recent times, but Queen Sirikit gave royal patronage to this ancient custom in August 2008.[4]
Similar rice goddesses also can be found in other Asian countries such as Dewi Sri; a Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese rice, agriculture and fertility goddess in Indonesia, and Khmer Po Ino Nogar; the rice goddess of Cambodia.