Well, that's all done for some other year. One of the craziest times of twelvemonth inward Phuket.. come upwardly to intend of it, certainly the craziest. Some people abhor the vegetarian festival or are bored yesteryear it, or simply moan that the street processions disrupt traffic around Phuket Town. Some people hardly notice the festival, every bit it genuinely solely affects Phuket Town too small-scale communities amongst a Chinese-Thai background similar Kathu, Sapam or Tha Reua. If you lot sit down on the Beach in Thailand at Kata for the duration of the festival, you lot won't come across anything. Personally I dearest it. Love the sometime traditions, dearest the manner the local community comes together too hold these traditions, I dearest the crazy street processions, dearest taking photos too I every bit good utilisation the vegetarian festival every bit an excuse for 10 days of detox. I stick to the diet, drinkable no alcohol.. although I don't habiliment white too sure enough don't impale myself amongst abrupt objects. Leave that to the existent devotees.
• Lots of photos here: Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 (my Flickr photos)
This spider web log post service covers the initiative of all few days of the festival which started on Oct seventh inward the afternoon amongst the raising of the Go Teng pole at all the shrines. I went along to Kathu shrine amongst my family. We managed to dilly too dally too simply missed the actual pole raising yesteryear a few minutes but did scout every bit the lanterns were raised up. The lanterns would survive lit subsequently that night. It is said that the gods descend into the shrines at midnight. I must endeavour to larn to Kathu shrine at midnight sometime!
As nosotros arrived the pole was simply beingness tied upwardly amongst guy ropes earlier the lanterns were attached to a large bamboo branch which was too then hoisted halfway upwardly the Go Teng pole amongst ix lanterns hanging from it - ix lanterns for the ix emperor gods.
Many people come upwardly to the shrine on the initiative of all eve for prayers. There was every bit good a firework display which nosotros could come across from our solid - must scream back side yesteryear side twelvemonth to rest inward the hamlet for the fireworks! Below - a brace of photos inward the shrine. Kathu is an of import piece of occupation of the festival, because Kathu is where the festival started inward the mid 19th century. Shrines inward Phuket Town similar Jui Tui too Bang Neow are larger, but the people of Kathu know their history too direct hold a lot of pride inward the sometime traditions.
• More Photos at Kathu Shrine seventh October (Flickr Slideshow)
Fireworks too particularly firecrackers play an of import piece of occupation inward the festival. Loud firecrackers are said to drive away bad luck too bad spirits. We bought a few fireworks domicile - the kids enjoyed playing amongst sparklers...
The initiative of all primary effect of the festival was the initiative of all street procession on the tenth of Oct from Sapam Shrine, which is almost 7km northward of Phuket Town. I went to the shrine earlier 7am, earlier the procession left the shrine - they walk all the manner into town from there. It was a busy morning time at the shrine - Sapam is non a large community but I intend they were all there!
* Warning - if you lot scroll downwardly further, at that topographic point are graphic images which may non appeal to all people *
The festival is partly almost purifying the trunk yesteryear eating the correct food, drinking no Chang beer etc... but I promise nobody reads the words "vegetarian festival" too thinks that Phuket is sum of hippies too tofu burgers too "meat is murder" t-shirts. Indeed, at that topographic point is plenty of blood spilled during the festival. Some people are (so I believe) born to survive Ma Song, or "Crazy Horses". Some of these Ma Song undergo acts of self mutilation or extreme piercing. By doing this it is said they convey luck to their community. Some of it is quite gruesome, some is to a greater extent than spiritual. Here are some of the Ma Song at Sapam Shrine ...
Above - this Ma Song has simply had his confront done. Well, had his confront impaled yesteryear half-dozen fairly large swords, actually. Just doing his fleck for the local community. So is the guy below, though his chosen torture is pineapples.
• More photos from Sapam Shrine, tenth October (Flickr Slideshow)
The side yesteryear side day, 11th October, was the plough of Sam Kong Shrine, which is slowly to discovery on the Northern border of Phuket Town solely 800m from the large Tesco Lotus store. The Sam Kong surface area is packed amongst nutrient stalls during the festival - some photos here. Again I was at the shrine early, though peradventure non early on enough. To come across the actual piercing taking house you lot gotta select grip of the early on bird! I was at that topographic point 6:30am, should direct hold been at that topographic point at 6. But it was a grayness too slightly moisture morning time too did pelting quite a fleck later. I did non follow the procession into town every bit I had plans to survive inward town for either the 13th (Bang Neow Shrine) or 14th (Jui Tui).
The confront piercing inward a higher house is to a greater extent than traditional using fairly small-scale (but sharp) skewers amongst Chinese heads on the ends. In to a greater extent than recent years I experience that the piercing has move a variety of competition. And I am sure that the participants/devotees are aware that yesteryear piercing your confront amongst something large or bizarre, you're to a greater extent than probable to brand the papers! Or at to the lowest degree brand it onto Jamie's Phuket :)
Alongside the weirder piercings you lot discovery the tradition too history. It's sometimes difficult to imagine, but this festival has been piece of occupation of Phuket for a long long time. When the festival originated, George IV was King of England. The sometime tradition is really much survive too I produce sometimes experience a fleck guilty of getting inward the manner spell trying to direct hold a photo. The vegetarian festival is touted every bit a tourist attraction too I produce intend that this twelvemonth I saw to a greater extent than tourists too to a greater extent than foreigners amongst cameras at some of the events, but non thence many really. This IS something to experience for sure, but I know that 95% of visitors come upwardly to Phuket for sun, sea, sand, seafood too other things get-go amongst S. At the shrines I saw familiar faces of local residents too locally based photographers, too every bit good a few photograph pros amongst large lenses too "my photographic television set camera is bigger than yours" attitudes :)
• More photos at Sam Kong Shrine 11th October (Flickr Slideshow)
More photos too words coming soon. I was inward Phuket Town on the 13th for the Bang Neow Shrine procession too at Kathu Shrine on the 15th on a grayness drizzly morning. More photos on my The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
• Lots of photos here: Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 (my Flickr photos)
This spider web log post service covers the initiative of all few days of the festival which started on Oct seventh inward the afternoon amongst the raising of the Go Teng pole at all the shrines. I went along to Kathu shrine amongst my family. We managed to dilly too dally too simply missed the actual pole raising yesteryear a few minutes but did scout every bit the lanterns were raised up. The lanterns would survive lit subsequently that night. It is said that the gods descend into the shrines at midnight. I must endeavour to larn to Kathu shrine at midnight sometime!
As nosotros arrived the pole was simply beingness tied upwardly amongst guy ropes earlier the lanterns were attached to a large bamboo branch which was too then hoisted halfway upwardly the Go Teng pole amongst ix lanterns hanging from it - ix lanterns for the ix emperor gods.
Many people come upwardly to the shrine on the initiative of all eve for prayers. There was every bit good a firework display which nosotros could come across from our solid - must scream back side yesteryear side twelvemonth to rest inward the hamlet for the fireworks! Below - a brace of photos inward the shrine. Kathu is an of import piece of occupation of the festival, because Kathu is where the festival started inward the mid 19th century. Shrines inward Phuket Town similar Jui Tui too Bang Neow are larger, but the people of Kathu know their history too direct hold a lot of pride inward the sometime traditions.
• More Photos at Kathu Shrine seventh October (Flickr Slideshow)
Fireworks too particularly firecrackers play an of import piece of occupation inward the festival. Loud firecrackers are said to drive away bad luck too bad spirits. We bought a few fireworks domicile - the kids enjoyed playing amongst sparklers...
The initiative of all primary effect of the festival was the initiative of all street procession on the tenth of Oct from Sapam Shrine, which is almost 7km northward of Phuket Town. I went to the shrine earlier 7am, earlier the procession left the shrine - they walk all the manner into town from there. It was a busy morning time at the shrine - Sapam is non a large community but I intend they were all there!
* Warning - if you lot scroll downwardly further, at that topographic point are graphic images which may non appeal to all people *
The festival is partly almost purifying the trunk yesteryear eating the correct food, drinking no Chang beer etc... but I promise nobody reads the words "vegetarian festival" too thinks that Phuket is sum of hippies too tofu burgers too "meat is murder" t-shirts. Indeed, at that topographic point is plenty of blood spilled during the festival. Some people are (so I believe) born to survive Ma Song, or "Crazy Horses". Some of these Ma Song undergo acts of self mutilation or extreme piercing. By doing this it is said they convey luck to their community. Some of it is quite gruesome, some is to a greater extent than spiritual. Here are some of the Ma Song at Sapam Shrine ...
Above - this Ma Song has simply had his confront done. Well, had his confront impaled yesteryear half-dozen fairly large swords, actually. Just doing his fleck for the local community. So is the guy below, though his chosen torture is pineapples.
• More photos from Sapam Shrine, tenth October (Flickr Slideshow)
The side yesteryear side day, 11th October, was the plough of Sam Kong Shrine, which is slowly to discovery on the Northern border of Phuket Town solely 800m from the large Tesco Lotus store. The Sam Kong surface area is packed amongst nutrient stalls during the festival - some photos here. Again I was at the shrine early, though peradventure non early on enough. To come across the actual piercing taking house you lot gotta select grip of the early on bird! I was at that topographic point 6:30am, should direct hold been at that topographic point at 6. But it was a grayness too slightly moisture morning time too did pelting quite a fleck later. I did non follow the procession into town every bit I had plans to survive inward town for either the 13th (Bang Neow Shrine) or 14th (Jui Tui).
The confront piercing inward a higher house is to a greater extent than traditional using fairly small-scale (but sharp) skewers amongst Chinese heads on the ends. In to a greater extent than recent years I experience that the piercing has move a variety of competition. And I am sure that the participants/devotees are aware that yesteryear piercing your confront amongst something large or bizarre, you're to a greater extent than probable to brand the papers! Or at to the lowest degree brand it onto Jamie's Phuket :)
Alongside the weirder piercings you lot discovery the tradition too history. It's sometimes difficult to imagine, but this festival has been piece of occupation of Phuket for a long long time. When the festival originated, George IV was King of England. The sometime tradition is really much survive too I produce sometimes experience a fleck guilty of getting inward the manner spell trying to direct hold a photo. The vegetarian festival is touted every bit a tourist attraction too I produce intend that this twelvemonth I saw to a greater extent than tourists too to a greater extent than foreigners amongst cameras at some of the events, but non thence many really. This IS something to experience for sure, but I know that 95% of visitors come upwardly to Phuket for sun, sea, sand, seafood too other things get-go amongst S. At the shrines I saw familiar faces of local residents too locally based photographers, too every bit good a few photograph pros amongst large lenses too "my photographic television set camera is bigger than yours" attitudes :)
• More photos at Sam Kong Shrine 11th October (Flickr Slideshow)
More photos too words coming soon. I was inward Phuket Town on the 13th for the Bang Neow Shrine procession too at Kathu Shrine on the 15th on a grayness drizzly morning. More photos on my The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com