Vegetarian festival to purify oneself

The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. A colorful event held over a nine day period in 11-19 October 2007, this celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat and various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar will help them obtain good health and peace of mind.

Although the origins of the festival is unclear, the locals believe that perhaps the festival was brought in to Phuket by a group of wandering Chinese Opera who then fell ill with malaria while performing in the island. They then decided to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods who would ensure purification of the mind and body. On recovery, the people celebrated by holding a festival that was meant to honour the gods as well as express the people's happiness at surviving what was, in the nineteenth century, a fatal illness.

The festival falls on the first days of the ninth Chinese lunar month. And for nine days participants need to observe strict regulations. People who are mourning cannot participate in the event, and pregnant women and menstruating women are not encourage to attend the ceremonies. Besides refraining from meat, sex and alcohol, they must wear white and observe cleanliness of the body during the festival. Clean kitchen utensils are not to be used by others who do not participate in the festival.

The ceremonies of the festival takes place near the six Chinese temples scattered throughout Phuket. The main temple is Jui Tui Shrine not far from the Fresh Market in Phuket Town. The first event is the raising of the Lantern Pole, an act that notifies the nine Chinese gods that the festival is about to begin.

For the next few days, the local Chinese brings their household gods to the temple, along with offerings of food and drink. It is assumed that the household gods will benefit from an annual injection of spiritual energy that fills the temple. Visitors can observe and even participate in the lighting of joss sticks and candles that are placed around the various gods.

Usually street processions take place, where visitors can see participants walking in a trance. Other events include hundreds of local residents running across a bed of burning coals, or climbing an eight metre ladder of sharp blades while in trance.

In order to invoke the gods, participants acting as mediums of the gods will then firewalked, body pierced and other acts of self mortification. Men and women puncture their cheeks with various items including knives, skewers and other household items. Over the years it has became more spectacular and daring with more participants bringing new and more bizarre objects to skew their body. It is believed that the Chinese gods will protect such persons from harm, and little blood or scarring results from such mutilation acts. This is definitely not recommended for the feint hearted to witness.

During this graphic and gruesome event, if your stomach is still growling for food, there are specially prepared vegetarian cuisine made available at street stalls and markets around the island. The vegetarian dishes are not easily distinguished from regular dishes because they do taste like meat although the fact that soybean and protein substitute products are used to replace meat.

Source : www.phuket.com

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