Lord Ganesha gets boba tea instead of modak in Thailand, and there's a reason for it

A woman from Thailand shared a glimpse of how devotees in Bangkok celebrated Lord Ganesha, with an unexpected offering taking centre stage, boba tea instead of the traditional laddus commonly associated with the deity in India.

Instagram user Piya Ping, who is based in Bangkok, shared a video showing a Lord Ganesha shrine outside Union Mall, one of the city’s popular shopping destinations. She also carried several cups of bubble tea with her as an offering.

In the video, Piya explained that while devotees in India commonly offer Lord Ganesha his favourite snack, laddus, people in Bangkok have their own twist on the tradition. She showed the shrine where several large plastic cups of boba milk tea had been placed before the idol.

Piya also pointed out a guide near the shrine listing the floors where different boba tea brands could be found inside the mall. This meant devotees could simply pick their preferred brand and bring it to the shrine as an offering.

The video showed several people leaving bubble tea at the shrine, with some devotees appearing to have brought multiple cups. Piya said some people believed that when a wish they had made to Lord Ganesha came true, they should return with more bubble tea than they had offered previously.

She said that an offering could grow from three cups to six, then 12, and eventually even reach 200 cups if devotees continued returning after their wishes were fulfilled.

Calling it a “traditional belief with a very Thai twist”, Piya said the idea was simply about offering something that people enjoyed and found meaningful.

She captioned the video, “One of Ganesha's shrines in Bangkok, we offer this..”

The unusual offering delighted several Indian viewers in the comments, with users expressing surprise and amusement at seeing bubble tea being offered to Lord Ganesha.

Some appeared particularly charmed by the distinctly Thai spin on a familiar tradition, while others appreciated seeing the deity being celebrated so far from India.

The video offered a glimpse into how religious traditions can take on local flavours, with bubble tea becoming an offering at a Bangkok shrine while retaining the familiar idea of devotees expressing gratitude and devotion to Lord Ganesha.- EndsPublished By: Yashna TalwarPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 12:55 IST