OK, i to a greater extent than post most the Phuket vegetarian festival ... On the really final eventide of the festival, Oct 5th, nosotros all headed into Kathu hamlet again. We'd only been at that spot on the morning of the 4th to witness faces pierced past times swords, guns, skewers too long metallic rods too a procession through a meg firecrackers. The dissonance too the bizarre rituals are business office of the festival, but there's a lot to a greater extent than to it, a really deep tradition too history which I am certain can't hold upwards fully understood unless yous are genuinely business office of it. We are only observers. The eventide of the 5th, amongst a lite pelting falling showed what the vegetarian festival agency here. It seemed similar the whole population was there, queuing circular the streets of Kathu hamlet waiting to larn into the shrine too cross the span for purification.
The photograph inwards a higher house shows the ladies queue. I'd non been to meet this ceremony before too it equally good a piece to realise the was also a men's queue which was on the other side of the shrine. The men too ladies entered the shrine past times dissimilar doorways.
Waiting patiently inwards the rain. Everyone was wearing white. I know that during the festival, many people wearable white, but on a normal eventide at the shrine during the preceding week, non everyone is inwards white. On this final night, to cross the bridge, yous get got to wearable white. I had non constitute "the bridge" yet. It seemed hard to larn through the crowd too unopen to the shrine. I was non fifty-fifty certain if nosotros (non pure) people would hold upwards allowed near. I imagined a bolt of lightning striking us down, away ye impure people!
(above) Mum, are nosotros at that spot yet? Not nonetheless ... Patience is a virtue inwards whatsoever linguistic communication or religion. You may meet inwards the pictures, each mortal is belongings a petty bundle of what looks similar some trammel onions. I get got read that this is wrapped inwards some newspaper amongst the persons mention written on it. I bespeak to enquire someone the exact significance of this, but it's all to produce amongst purity too carrying a scrap of greenery into the shrine brand sense.
Here's the front end of the queue (almost). The final few yards, upwards the steps too into the shrine. It was quite a shell actually! But everyone was practiced natured. Lots of smiles. I'm non going to fighting amongst the doubters too the cynics. The "Land of Smiles" may get got been adopted equally a tourism slogan, too yous may good discover some worn out smiles inwards the primary tourist areas. But I scream upwards most people tin feel when a smiling is real. Smiles inwards the shrine were real.
But what is "The Bridge"? Well, I managed to sneak upwards some side stairs exterior the shrine, though the entrance was gated, I gave my best "sorry, tin I get got a photo" smiling too a big Wai to the onetime human being who seemed to hold upwards guarding the entrance. From this viewpoint, too past times leaning around a marble pillar, I could meet this...
One of ii ceremonial "bridges" railroad train within the shrine. One for men, i for women, each i flanked past times one-half a dozen Ma Song, the entranced devotees who are said to get got the spirits of the gods within them during the festival. The Ma Song bless too manus each mortal a slice of string symbolising practiced luck. The atmosphere inwards the shrine is smoky too noisy amongst drums beingness played inwards the background. Those crossing the span bow too pray. Dad (or grandad?) carries his man child over the bridge. Not certain the immature man child appreciates it only yet. I am certain he will.
This eventide inwards Kathu was really interesting, really enjoyable, at that spot was a existent feel of community too togetherness here, the people believe inwards their traditions too believe that crossing the span volition hand them luck. I saw a duo of foreigners crossing the span too. I am thinking side past times side yr that my married adult woman too I volition get got the festival a petty to a greater extent than seriously, no meat, no beers, brand ourselves clean, too we'll cross the span too. In the grounds of the temple before nosotros headed habitation nosotros met a human being who we'd talked to 10 days before at the opening ceremony. We'd also seen him striding out of the hamlet only equally nosotros arrived on the quaternary October, he was the atomic number 82 Ma Song inwards the procession. He'd been pierced past times a reveal of spikes, naught equally good scary. And on this final black he showed his scars which would speedily heal up, but the retentivity remains too side past times side yr we'll meet him again.
More stories from the 2011 Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com
The photograph inwards a higher house shows the ladies queue. I'd non been to meet this ceremony before too it equally good a piece to realise the was also a men's queue which was on the other side of the shrine. The men too ladies entered the shrine past times dissimilar doorways.
Waiting patiently inwards the rain. Everyone was wearing white. I know that during the festival, many people wearable white, but on a normal eventide at the shrine during the preceding week, non everyone is inwards white. On this final night, to cross the bridge, yous get got to wearable white. I had non constitute "the bridge" yet. It seemed hard to larn through the crowd too unopen to the shrine. I was non fifty-fifty certain if nosotros (non pure) people would hold upwards allowed near. I imagined a bolt of lightning striking us down, away ye impure people!
(above) Mum, are nosotros at that spot yet? Not nonetheless ... Patience is a virtue inwards whatsoever linguistic communication or religion. You may meet inwards the pictures, each mortal is belongings a petty bundle of what looks similar some trammel onions. I get got read that this is wrapped inwards some newspaper amongst the persons mention written on it. I bespeak to enquire someone the exact significance of this, but it's all to produce amongst purity too carrying a scrap of greenery into the shrine brand sense.
Here's the front end of the queue (almost). The final few yards, upwards the steps too into the shrine. It was quite a shell actually! But everyone was practiced natured. Lots of smiles. I'm non going to fighting amongst the doubters too the cynics. The "Land of Smiles" may get got been adopted equally a tourism slogan, too yous may good discover some worn out smiles inwards the primary tourist areas. But I scream upwards most people tin feel when a smiling is real. Smiles inwards the shrine were real.
But what is "The Bridge"? Well, I managed to sneak upwards some side stairs exterior the shrine, though the entrance was gated, I gave my best "sorry, tin I get got a photo" smiling too a big Wai to the onetime human being who seemed to hold upwards guarding the entrance. From this viewpoint, too past times leaning around a marble pillar, I could meet this...
One of ii ceremonial "bridges" railroad train within the shrine. One for men, i for women, each i flanked past times one-half a dozen Ma Song, the entranced devotees who are said to get got the spirits of the gods within them during the festival. The Ma Song bless too manus each mortal a slice of string symbolising practiced luck. The atmosphere inwards the shrine is smoky too noisy amongst drums beingness played inwards the background. Those crossing the span bow too pray. Dad (or grandad?) carries his man child over the bridge. Not certain the immature man child appreciates it only yet. I am certain he will.
This eventide inwards Kathu was really interesting, really enjoyable, at that spot was a existent feel of community too togetherness here, the people believe inwards their traditions too believe that crossing the span volition hand them luck. I saw a duo of foreigners crossing the span too. I am thinking side past times side yr that my married adult woman too I volition get got the festival a petty to a greater extent than seriously, no meat, no beers, brand ourselves clean, too we'll cross the span too. In the grounds of the temple before nosotros headed habitation nosotros met a human being who we'd talked to 10 days before at the opening ceremony. We'd also seen him striding out of the hamlet only equally nosotros arrived on the quaternary October, he was the atomic number 82 Ma Song inwards the procession. He'd been pierced past times a reveal of spikes, naught equally good scary. And on this final black he showed his scars which would speedily heal up, but the retentivity remains too side past times side yr we'll meet him again.
More stories from the 2011 Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Sumber http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com