The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
WARNING!!! EXPLICIT CONTENT AHEAD!!! Some images of the rituals are VERY GRAPHIC!
Some pictures from 2009...
the starting ceremony is usually very early in the morning...
some chanting, drums, incense...
everyone is in place, ready to start...
already in a state of trance
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firecrackers everywhere, I can still smell the burning powder...
at this point they start walking toward the city center...
fire truck on the way...
kids smiling for the camera
that's quite an elaborate one!
amazing THAILAND!
one more...
group picture
fire crackers part II
everywhere!
for everyone...
orange splash...
hope to attend the festival this year, at least one day...
stay tuned for the 2010 pictures...
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1 comments:
Fantastic pictures! They really capture the ciaos and spirit of the event. Cant wait for this years pix! :D
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