SARABURI — A monk who was seen forcefully hitting temple-goers’ heads with a bundle of dried grass has defended the unorthodox practice, calling it his unique way of blessing the faithful.

Phra Jirapan Analyo, the 53-year-old abbot of Pha Sadej monastery in Saraburi, admitted that the practice may look violent in a video that went viral this week, but insisted that it does not hurt.

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