Next month I’ve got friends and family visiting me here in Thailand, and I’m busy organising my itinerary for what to show them of the country. One of our first stops will be Phuket in early October, but we’re not going for sun and sand. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is one of the biggest religious annual festivals in Thailand, and its name belies the fact that some of the rituals which take place at the temples involve quite spectacular (and gruesome) acts of self-mortification. Ostensibly possessed by the gods, adepts pierce their tongues, cheeks, and other parts of their anatomy with sharp implements, apparently feeling no pain and causing no injury. The festival itself is important because it’s a time of purification and cleansing – those taking part abstain from eating meat, sex and quarrelling, which, coupled with each day’s celebrations, helps them make a fresh start. The entire festival climaxes with a spectacular firework display. There’s more about the history and purpose of the festival at the official site phuketvegetarian.com and phukettourism.org
The festival is held in the 9th lunar month of each year, which for 2005 means the festival runs between the 2nd to the 11th October this year. Be sure to check the schedule on the official site to find out which shrine is the centre of the rituals on each day.
More on Phuket vegetarian festival:
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