MELAKA: After completing the hungry ghost festival prayers, devotees grab fruits at the temple to bring home prosperity, luck and peace.

A temple in Pokok Mangga, Melaka, upholds the 100-year-old tradition of fruit-grabbing after the prayers held in the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

The climax of the prayers was when fruit-grabbing took place at 10 pm.
The long table laden with various types of fruits was emptied in minutes as devotees rushed to grab the fruits – papayas, pears, oranges, apples, coconuts, bananas, watermelons, honeydews, etc.

It is believed that the fruits they bring home will offer prosperity, health and safety for the whole family.

Feng Rong Shun, chairman of the temple, said the fruit-grabbing event had been taking place for many years.

Feng started to join his father and other elders to take part in the event since he was young, and has not missed a year since.

“The event started as a way for devotees to bring home the fruits for prosperity and safety. As it is the practice to contribute fruits for hungry ghost prayers, the temple is left with lots of fruits and offerings.
“The temple is unable to finish all the fruits and offerings. Instead of wasting the fruits, we let the devotees bring them home,” he explained.

The temple does not restrain devotees from picking the fruits. They are free to choose whatever they want.

“We are not just grabbing fruits. We are bringing back luck and prosperity for the family,” they said.