When a new
spirit house
is purchased, the old one cannot just be tossed aside or thrown out together
with the household trash, but needs be neatly disposed of against the base of a
sacred banyan
tree
or in the corner of a caring temple compound.
There,
it is believed that benevolent spirits will guard it. Some places host so many abandoned
spirit houses that they look like reel spirit house
graveyards and people will not pass by without making a
respectful
wai
in its direction or honking their
horn if driving a car.